Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Normally noningestible chewable material or process of... – Packaged – structurally defined – or coated
Patent
1995-06-22
1996-08-13
Hunter, Jeanette M.
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Normally noningestible chewable material or process of...
Packaged, structurally defined, or coated
426573, 426302, 426303, 426305, 426658, A23G 330
Patent
active
055454178
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US92/11198, filed Dec. 23, 1992, designating the United States, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improved chewing gum products. More particularly, the present invention relates to improving chewing gum products by the use of natural carbohydrate gum hydrolyzates in a coating applied to the gum products.
Chewing gums are frequently enclosed with hard or soft coatings. Coatings provide an opportunity for the manufacturer to vary product characteristics such as taste, appearance and nutritional value. In recent years, efforts have been devoted to producing sugarless hard coatings for chewing gum. In today's health conscious society, gums containing sugarless sweeteners are popular confectionery items. In response to this consumer demand, the industry has investigated sugarless coatings containing compounds such as xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and hydrogenated starch hydrolyzates. These sugarless compounds contain sweetening characteristics but are devoid of commonly known sugars such as sucrose, dextrose, fructose, glucose and equivalent products.
Hard coatings containing sorbitol are common in the art. Sorbitol is generally acceptable because of its availability and the low cost. Sugarless gums coated with sorbitol, however, suffer from deficiencies. For example, sorbitol coating solutions are difficult to employ in the coating process. In addition, sorbitol coated products are usually rough, contain colored spots or blotches, and are waxy. Furthermore, because of its hygroscopicity, sorbitol dries and crystallizes slowly. Thus, sorbitol coated products are often rejected by consumers because of their rough and mottled appearance and lack of crunchiness as compared to sugar coatings.
Accordingly, a need currently exists in the confectionery market place for a gum with a hard coating which possesses the appealable characteristics of a sugar coating. To satisfy consumers, the coating would ideally be identical in appearance, taste, and mouth feel to a sugar coating. To satisfy the manufacturers, the coating would be high in stability, easy to apply and economical.
The non-sugar polyols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and hydrogenated isomaltulose have the advantage of not contributing to dental caries of consumers, as well as being able to be consumed by diabetics. However, all polyols have the disadvantage of causing gastrointestinal disturbances if consumed in too great of a quantity. Therefore it would be a great advantage to be able to use a carbohydrate or carbohydrate-like coating ingredient for a coated chewing gum product that would not contribute to dental caries nor cause gastrointestinal disturbances.
One such coating ingredient comprises guar gum hydrolyzate. This coating ingredient or bulk sweetener is not approved for use in human food products or in chewing gum in the U.S. However, a GRAS affirmation petition for guar gum hydrolyzate as a human food ingredient is currently being prepared. The bulk sweetener is approved for use in Japan and is being used in a variety of foods. Although a carbohydrate, guar gum hydrolyzate does not contribute to dental caries, does not cause as significant gastrointestinal disturbances as polyols and does not significantly contribute to calories. Thus, this ingredient's use in chewing gum could be a definite improvement.
Guar gum, which is found in the seeds of two leguminous plants, has found extensive uses as a food additive. U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,818 discloses low calorie pastas made with guar gum. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,389, guar gum has been disclosed as a stabilizer for ice cream, ice milk and sherbet. Culinary mixes containing guar gum are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,524. A process for producing low odor, low taste guar gums useful in foods is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,899. Use of guar gum in liquid chewing gum and chewing
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Hook Jeffrey S.
Reed Michael A.
Richey Lindell C.
Yatka Robert J.
Hunter Jeanette M.
Shurtz Steven P.
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
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