Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Normally noningestible chewable material or process of... – Packaged – structurally defined – or coated
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-09
2003-06-03
Corbin, Arthur L. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Normally noningestible chewable material or process of...
Packaged, structurally defined, or coated
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572900
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods for producing coated chewing gum products. More particularly, the invention relates to producing coated chewing gum products containing a high-intensity sweetener in the coating. Preferably, an antacid is also added to the chewing gum coating such that it will have a fast release from chewing gum for maximum effectiveness.
Coated chewing gum products are well known. Many prior art patents disclose chewing gum products coated with sugar sweeteners or polyol sweeteners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,838, for example, discloses a method of applying a sugarless coating to chewing gum. The coating may include calcium carbonate as an anti-sticking agent. Synthetic sweeteners, including many different high-intensity sweeteners, are also suggested for use in the coating.
It has been discovered that some high-intensity sweeteners, particularly aspartame (APM), are unstable and degrade while in the coating syrup. Often the coating syrup is made in advance and held at an elevated temperature for several hours until it is used.
Another area of interest is the use of medicaments in chewing gum. In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that an active medicament that is added to the chewing gum is generally released very readily. An active medicament may be added to the gum coating which is a water soluble matrix such that, during the chewing period, the medicament may be released quickly, resulting in a fast release. This would allow a chewing gum coating to be a carrier for an active medicament with these fast release characteristics.
It is of course known to provide active medicaments to individuals for various purposes. These medicaments can be used to treat diseases and as such are typically referred to as drugs or medicaments. Likewise, the drugs or medicaments can be used for preventative purposes. Still, it is known to provide medicaments to an individual for a variety of non-medical purposes including enhancing performance or maintaining health.
There are a great variety of such medicaments. These medicaments run the gamut from stimulants such as caffeine to drugs such as analgesics, tranquilizers and cardiovascular products, as well as vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Some such medicaments, such as antacids, are taken on an “as needed” basis while other medicaments must be taken at regular intervals by the individual.
Antacids are used to relieve gastrointestinal disturbances. These antacids are generally insoluble inorganic salts such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or aluminum hydroxide. These antacids readily neutralize acids in the GI tract and are commonly available in or as antacid tablets.
Previously, antacids have been added to chewing gum and in a chewing gum coating, but have not been totally consumer acceptable. The large amount of active antacid needed for effectiveness did not lend itself to giving a good tasting product. Also, the presence of sugar in the antacid chewing gum or coated on the chewing gum was not consumer acceptable. However, new types of sugarless coated chewing gum preparations with high-intensity sweeteners and quality flavors can be effective to make new antacid-type chewing gum preparations that can be more consumer acceptable.
It has been found that by adding the antacid to a gum coating, the antacid is quickly released from the chewing gum into saliva and into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, one of the difficulties that has been encountered in adding an antacid to a chewing gum coating is that the antacid, being basic, raises the pH of the coating syrup. This has been found to exacerbate the problem mentioned above regarding degradation of some high-intensity sweeteners used in coating syrups.
Thus, there is a need for a way to make coated chewing gum products that include high-intensity sweeteners that allows the high-intensity sweetener to be well distributed in the coating but avoids any degradation of unstable high-intensity sweeteners. It would especially be an improvement if an antacid could be included in a chewing gum coating without causing degradation of high-intensity sweeteners also used in the coating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been found that if a high-intensity sweetener is mixed into a separate coating syrup from the main coating syrup that needs to be held at an elevated temperature, the separate syrup does not need to be heated and the high-intensity sweetener has less degradation. Also, an antacid like calcium carbonate can be added to the main coating syrup and thus be included in the gum coating without exacerbating a problem of the high-intensity sweetener degradation.
In a first aspect, the invention is a method of making coated chewing gum products comprising the steps of: providing chewing gum cores; providing a first coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener; providing a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a high-intensity sweetener; and applying the first and second coating syrups to the cores and drying the syrups to produce a coating on the cores.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of delivering an antacid to an individual that provides for relief of symptoms caused by gastrointestinal disturbances. It is believed that providing the antacid in a chewing gum coating makes it more effective. Thus, an advantage of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method of administering an antacid to an individual at a lower level than is typically administered orally while still achieving the same effect.
Low levels of calcium carbonate in the coating are also useful. In a malitol coating, added calcium carbonate helps to reduce chipping of the final pellet coating. In a xylitol coated product, added calcium carbonate gives an improved pellet crunch. Other improvements in crunch, smoothness and shelf life may be found when other polyols are used for a coated chewing gum.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The method of the present invention involves the use of at least two separate coating syrups. The first syrup will include a bulk sweetener. The second syrup will include a high-intensity sweetener. Additional coating syrups may also be used, such as finishing syrups, which also include a bulk sweetener. When an antacid is to be included in the coating, it will preferably be included in the first coating syrup. Preferably the first coating syrup is essentially free of high-intensity sweeteners, meaning that the syrup does not contain any, or contains such a low amount of high-intensity sweetener that the high-intensity sweetener does not provide a perceptible additional sweetness.
The first and second coating syrups are applied to chewing gum cores to form the coated chewing gum product. The application can be sequential or simultaneous. Simultaneous application includes applying the two syrups at the same time through different application mechanisms, or premixing the syrups and applying them through a common application mechanism. The preferred application method includes applying the syrups separately, but alternately. For example, one of the coating syrups may be applied both before and after the application of the other coating syrup. Specifically, the first coating syrup may be applied, followed by application of the second coating syrup, followed by further application of the first coating syrup.
This type of application will generally mean that the coating syrups are held in separate tanks from the time they are prepared until they are applied to the cores. If the syrups are mixed and applied together they should preferably be mixed just prior to being applied to the chewing gum cores. The amount of time that they may be mixed before application will depend on the rate that the high-intensity sweetener degrades. Preferably they will be mixed for less than about 30 minutes prior to application.
Preferably the first coating syrup is held for use at an average temperature of at least 100° F. (38° C.), m
Barkalow David G.
Knutsen Jonathan J.
Schnell Philip G.
Shen Chungsea A.
Sitler Daniel J.
Corbin Arthur L.
Shurtz Steven P.
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
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