Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Noncarbohydrate sweetener or composition containing same
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-04
2003-01-14
Wong, Leslie (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Noncarbohydrate sweetener or composition containing same
C426S089000, C426S096000, C560S040000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06506434
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for coating N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (neotame) onto a carrier. The invention also relates to N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester coated carrier compositions. This invention further relates to a process of sweetening food products with a N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester coated carrier composition of the present invention, as well as to food products sweetened thereby.
2. Related Background Art
It is known that N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (neotame) is an extremely potent sweetening agent (about 8000×sweeter than sugar) that has the formula
The use of a high potency sweetener such as N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester requires consideration of the ability to deliver the sweetener in a given application.
Typically, a dry blend of neotame and a bulking agent is formed in order to deliver a desirable level of sweetness. For example, a typical dry blend of neotame and Unidex (CPC International, Summit/Argo, Ill.; blend of 97% by weight dextrose and 3% by weight maltodextrin) would require blending about 99.875% by weight Unidex with about 0.125% by weight neotame.
The use of small amounts of neotame powder to prepare dry blends with a bulking agent presents several manufacturing difficulties. Not surprisingly, dry blends prepared using a relatively small amount of neotame and a relatively large amount of a bulking agent may exhibit poor content uniformity. Because of the relatively small amount of neotame as compared to bulking agent, these dry blends also may exhibit a high degree of segregation and dusting. Moreover, the content uniformity and segregation problems associated with such dry blends often worsen during shipping and also during periods of storage. Consequently, these dry blends may be somewhat unattractive for manufacturers of consumer products as well as for consumers.
Agglomerates of neotame with a carrier have been formed as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/252,072, filed Feb. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,157, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Generally, agglomerates of neotame are formed by providing a premix solution comprising neotame and a binding agent, fluidizing a carrier, and applying the premix solution onto said fluidized carrier. By forming agglomerates of neotame in this way, acceptable levels of sweetness can be efficiently delivered.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,167 describes a method for producing a free-flowing agglomerate of aspartame and a food acid such as citric acid. The method includes blending, heating and cooling steps. Importantly, the method specifically excludes the introduction of aqueous agglomeration vehicles and the use of temperatures which are above the melting points of one or more of the ingredients.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,633 describes a process for stabilizing aspartame crystals into a particulate form. The particulate form can be mixed with other powdered materials to yield a free-flowing composition. The method includes heating a mixture of a matrix-forming material and aspartame crystals at such a temperature as to melt the material but not the aspartame crystals, thereby encapsulating the aspartame.
Another way to address the difficulties described above with respect to simple dry blends of neotame, and also to provide neotame in a deliverable form while reducing cost and increasing efficiency, is to form neotame coated carrier compositions. In short, the neotame coated carrier compositions of the present invention provide neotame in a deliverable form, which provides an acceptable level of sweetness and exhibits excellent content uniformity and reduced dusting and segregation, as compared to neotame dry blend preparations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a process for coating N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester onto a carrier. This process comprises the steps of heating the carrier to a temperature above the melting point of N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester; combining N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester with the heated carrier; and cooling the mixture to form a N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester coated carrier composition.
This invention is also directed to N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester coated carrier compositions comprising a carrier and N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester made according to the process described above.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the carrier is selected from sucrose, citric acid, maltodextrin, dextrose, lactose, inulin, erythritol, sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltose, tagatose, fructose, polyols, polydextrose, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, aspartame, acesulfame salts, sucralose, cyclamate, saccharin, stevioside, alitame, malic acid and mixtures thereof.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester is present in an amount of from about 0.01% to about 12%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 5%, and most preferably from about 1% to about 2.5%, by weight of the carrier in the neotame coated carrier compositions of the present invention.
Additional embodiments of the present invention are directed to food products sweetened with neotame coated carrier compositions and to methods of sweetening food products with neotame coated carrier compositions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a process for coating N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (neotame) onto a carrier. In effect, heated carrier is combined with neotame to produce neotame coated carrier compositions. This is possible due to the relatively low melting point of neotame and its physical forms and because of the stability of neotame and its physical forms at the temperatures involved in the instant process, as compared to other high potency sweeteners.
The present process can be accomplished in one reaction vessel and with no additional materials beyond the carrier and neotame itself. Hence, this process is a cost effective and efficient method for producing neotame coated carrier compositions.
In the first step of the process of the present invention, a carrier is heated to a temperature above the melting point of N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester with or without agitation. For example, the melting points of neotame monohydrate and anhydrous neotame are about 82° C. and 92° C., respectively. Generally, however, a carrier is heated to a temperature from about 80° C. to about 150° C. and preferably from about 105° C. to about 120° C.
It may be possible to form neotame coated carrier compositions by heating a carrier to a temperature just below a melting point of neotame, for example, to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 80° C. Without being bound to theory, it is believed that it is possible to do this due to the unique annealing properties of neotame at such temperatures.
The process of the present invention can be conducted in any suitable reaction vessel, which can be heated to an elevated temperature. For example, a jacketed Groen kettle or a plowshare mixer such as a Processall (Processall, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio) can be utilized.
Any carrier that can withstand the elevated temperatures of the present process is suitable for use. Such carriers include, but are not limited to, sucrose, citric acid, maltodextrin, dextrose, lactose, inulin, erythritol, sorbitol, maltito
Nolte Douglas
Towb Allan
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Hoster Jeffrey M.
The NutraSweet Company
Wong Leslie
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