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
2002-04-05
2004-07-13
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
C426S573000, C426S658000, C560S041000, C562S433000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761922
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel solid sweetener composition. In particular, a solid sweetener composition containing a novel aspartyl dipeptide ester compound, which has a high sweetness intensity. An example of such aspartyl dipeptide ester compounds is N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) propyl]-L-&agr;-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (referred to as “derivative 1”).
In addition, the present invention relates to a novel liquid sweetener composition. In particular, a liquid sweetener composition of a solution, with at least one aspartyl dipeptide ester derivatives and which also contains at one of a sugar, a sugar alcohol, or an oligosaccharide as a stabilizer.
The present invention also provides a food, a beverage or other sweetened products using the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has been reported that the sweetness intensity of Neotame, which is a sweetener with a high intense sweetness is 10000 times that of sucrose by weight (refer to Japanese Patent Kohyo Publication JP-A-8-503206), and the sweetness intensity of Aspartame is 200 times that of sucrose by weight (refer to Japanese Patent Kokoku Publication JP-B-47-31031). These sweeteners have been commercially and research for additional applications is ongoing. While many other sweeteners with a high intense sweetness have been proposed, these sweeteners have many practical problems for use.
Therefore, a sweetener with a high intensity sweetness, which is different from the sweetness of conventional sweeteners is in demand, preferably such a sweetener should possess a high intense sweetness, with excellent sweeteness quality, and physical properties (such as stability).
As a result of research to develop a sweet substance with a high intense sweetness, the present inventor previously found that an aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative represented by formula (2) had a high intense sweetness and was useful as a sweetener.
The present inventor has also found that the magnification of sweetness intensity of the derivative is extremely high, and that when the derivative is used directly in food, etc. in need of sweetness by sprinkling (as an example), the sweet taste is not homogeneous, which is not desired. Likewise, when a sweetener composition was prepared by mixing the aspartyl dipeptide derivative with a filler the powder form was not a homogeneous dispersion or mixture, which was not preferred due to the unbalanced sweetness.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a method whereby a sweetener composition is produced so that the composition has a homogeneous sweetness. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to develop a solid sweetener composition in which the derivative can be homogeneously dispersed and mixed.
In addition, as a result of further studies by the present inventor, the sweetness intensity of the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative was confirmed to be extremely high—5000 to 50000 times, or more, compared to sucrose, and attempts to prepare various types of food and beverages with the sweeteners have been undertaken. It was found that the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative sufficiently imparted a good intensity of sweetness, sweetness quality, etc. However, several problems were still prevalent due to an intrinsic physical property of the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative, when it is in a powder such that it was difficult to handle. For example, such a powder has a large specific volume and most of its crystals are fine and needle-like, which provides for a dangerous work environment and an ease of losing the derivative when it is spread out.
The present inventor has also found that an aqueous solution with a high intensity of sweetness was stable and useful as a liquid sweetener composition. However, it was also observed that the solubility, the dispersibility and the stability could be improved by, for example, improving the water solubility to facilitate water solubilization by preventing the formation of coagulant (the state where the powder particles are turned into a solid mass).
As the world's population becomes increasingly focused on health, diet, etc., a non-sugar low-calorie sweetener that substitutes for sucrose is in great demand. Along these lines, there is also a need to develop ways to solve the problems that are typical of sucrose containing products, such as browning, stickiness, etc., and the suitable use of a sweetener for producing beverages, sherbets (ice block) and the like. In such production processes, various issues must be dealt with, such as, the quality of end product, the operational production efficiency, and changes in the physical property. Likewise, when prepare beverage concentrates, which will be later diluted or bottled, it is important to minimize the volume of the beverage concentrate for ease of manufacture and shipping.
Therefore, the problems that must be dealt with in this area of technology includes, among others, prevention of spreading out of the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative; improve the solubility of the derivative for ease of dissolution; and a sweetener composition with a high intensity sweetness, which can be stored in a small place, can impart a homogeneous sweetness and be stable for a long time (high solubility and high dispersibility).
In view of the aforementioned problems, a stable sweetener composition with a high intensity sweetness containing the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative and which can be handled easily without spreading out has been in demand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to develop a solid sweetener composition in which the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative can be homogeneously dispersed and mixed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide and obtain a liquid sweetener composition which is high in quality and facilitates process control and operational efficiency during the production and delivery.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present inventor has found that a solid sweetener composition containing at least the aspartyl dipeptide derivative and a solid filler can be obtained by a process whereby the derivative is mixed in a solution during manufacture whereby the derivative is mixed and dispersed homogeneously.
One embodiment of the present invention is a solid sweetener composition containing an aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative or a salt thereof, represented by formula (2), including formula (1); and a solid filler, whereby the composition can be produced by mixing the derivative in a solution during manufacture, whereby the derivative is mixed and dispersed homogeneously.
The sweetness intensity of the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative in the sweetener composition is preferably more than 4,000 times that of sucrose.
The aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative in the solid sweetener composition includes salts thereof, one compound alone or mixtures thereof.
The compounds of formulas (1) and (2) are:
where R
1
, R
2
, R
3
, R
4
and R
5
are independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms (methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, etc.), an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms (methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, etc.) and a hydroxyalkyloxy group having 2 or 3 carbon atoms (O(CH
2
)
2
OH, OCH
2
CH(OH)CH
3
, etc.), and where R
1
and R
2
, or R
2
and R
3
may be combined together to form a methylene dioxy group (OCH
2
O); where R
6
, R
7
, R
8
, R
9
and R
10
are independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms (a methyl, an ethyl, an isopropyl group, etc.) and any two of R
6
, R
7
, R
8
, R
9
and R
10
, may be combined together to form an alkylene group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms (CH
2
, CH
2
CH
2
, CH
2
CH
2
CH
2
, etc.); when R
6
and R
7
, or R
8
and R
9
are different substituents, or R
10
is a substituent except for a hydrogen atom, the configuration of the carbon atom to which R
6
and R
7
, R
8
and R
9
or R
10
are linked, has no restriction, and may be any one of (R), (S) and (RS) or mixture thereof. The wiggly l
Ajinomoto Co. Inc.
Wong Leslie
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