GB2225923A - Chewing gum - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of prolonging the flavor and sweetness sensation of a chewing gum composition comprises providing a uniform mixture of gum base, flavoring component and a sweetener other than mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin, adding to said mixture a quantity of mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin sufficient to prolong the flavor and sweetness of said composition, and mixing until said mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin is homogeneously distributed in the matrix of said chewing gum composition. A chewing gum composition comprises a gum base and, in the matrix of the gum composition, mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin in combination with a sweetener or flavoring component.

Description

METHOD FOR PROLONGING THE DURATION OF FLAVOR AND SWEETNESS SENSATION IN A CHEWING GUM COMPOSITION The present invention relates in general to a method which provides prolonged lasting sweetness and flavor sensation or perception in a chewing gum composition, and in particular, to the prolongation of sweetness and flavor sensation by incorporating mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin (NAG) into the matrix of a chewing gum composition.

Ammoniated glycyrrhizinates are known in the art as intense sweeteners. For example, Cook, U.S.

Patent No. 3,851,073 discloses the use of ammoniated glycyrrhizin as an intense sweetener, flavoring agent and potentiator of the sweetness of sucrose. However, the compounds described by Cook require the use of a 5'-nucleotide to overcome the licorice flavor of the ammoniated glycyrrhizinate.

Stroz et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,241,090 discloses non-adhesive, flavored chewing gum methods and compositions containing up to 0.5 parts by weight of the gum formula of one or more artificial sweeteners from an exemplary group including MAG. Mackav et al., U.S.

Patent No. 4,328,249 discloses a method for preserving gum base without antioxidants which can be compounded into flavored chewing gum compositions that may contain between 0.02 to 2.00% by weight of an artificial sweetener selected from the group including ammoniated glycyrrhizinates.

Friello, U.S. Patent 4,208,431 and Witzel et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,217,368 disclose long lasting chewing gum compositions and methods having good processability in which the long lasting sweetness is derived by dissolving a first sweetener in the matrix of the chewing gum composition and dispersing in the gum base 20-45% by weight of a second sweetener selected from a group including MAG. Kehoe et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,252,830 discloses a chewable calorie-free chewing gum base sweetened by between 0.1 to 1% by weight of the gum base of any one of a number of listed calorie-free sweeteners, including ammoniated glycyrrhiz inates.

Witzel et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,238,475 discloses a chewing gum capable of releasing finely divided water insoluble materials having a first sweetener dispersed in the gum composition and 20-75% by weight of the second sweetener dispersed in the gum base selected from a group of sweeteners including MAG.

Bodkins et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,271,197 discloses a flavored chewing gum containing an undisclosed quantity of optional artificial sugar substitutes selected from a group including ammoniated glycyrrhizinates.

Witzel et al., U.S. Patent 4,301,178 discloses compositions and methods for a liquid filled chewing gum with the liquid center being sweetened by between 20-70% by weight of one or more sweeteners selected from a group including MAG. Calabro, U.S. Patent No. 4,582,707 discloses a flavored non-sticking chewing gum optionally sweetened by up to 2.0% by weight of one or more artificial sweeteners selected from the group including ammoniated glycyrrhizinates.

Kehoe et al., U.S. Patent 4,317,837 discloses a tobacco flavored chewing gum and Kehoe et al., U.S.

Patent No. 4,357,354 discloses a flavored, reduced calorie chewing gum, both of which are sweetened by up to 0.5% by weight of one or more artificial sweeteners selected from a group including ammoniated glycyrrhizinates. Shah et al., U.S. Patent No.

4,469,674 discloses flavored oral compositions containing zinc and fluoride sweetened by between 0.01-5.0% by weight of a sweetener selected from a group including ammoniated glycyrrhizinates. Weiss et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,656,039 discloses a flavored layered chewing gum with a moisture impervious outer layer with the inner layer sweetened by one or more intense sweeteners selected from a group including ammoniated glycyrrhizinates.

The above prior art disclosures generally indicate that glycyrrhizinates are useful as intense sweeteners, either alone or in combination with other sweeteners or intense sweeteners. It has unexpectedly been discovered that the mono-ammoniated species of glycyrrhizinates, where incorporated in the matrix of a chewing gum composition in combination with a sweetener or flavoring component, provide prolonged lasting sweetness, flavor sensation and perception.

Prolongation of sweetness and flavor sensation in the past has also been obtained for chewing gum compositions by encapsulation of the sweeteners and flavoring components within a hydrophobic matrix. The extension of flavor and sweetness is obtained by the delayed release of the components within the encapsulation. Encapsulations, as well as gum base dispersions add grain to the texture of gum compositions. Encapsulations also require additional processing to form the encapsulation. A system that functions to prolong the duration of sweetness and flavor sensation in a chewing gum composition without encapsulation of sweetener or flavoring components or dispersion of these components in the gum base would be highly desirable.

According to the present invention, mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin (MAG) prolongs the duration of flavor and sweetness sensation of chewing gum compositions. The prolonged duration of flavor and sweetness sensation is achieved by a method comprising providing a uniform mixture of gum base, adding a flavoring component and a sweetener other than MAG, adding to this mixture a quantity of MAG sufficient to prolong the flavor and sweetness of the composition, and mixing until said MAG is homogeneously distributed in the matrix of the chewing gum composition.

A preferred method. of the invention for prolonging the flavor and sweetness sensation of a chewing gum composition includes forming a uniform mixture of gum base, a flavoring component and a sweetener other than mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin; adding to said mixture a quantity of mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin sufficient to prolong the flavor and sweetness of said composition; and mixing until said mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin is homogeneously distributed in the matrix of said chewing gum composition.

Figure 1 is a graph of sweetness intensity as evaluated by an expert chew panel vs. time for a sugar coated pellet gum control sample and an experimental sample containing MAG; Figure 2 is a graph of flavor intensity as evaluated by the same chew panel for the same gum samples; Figure 3 is a graph of sweetness intensity as evaluated by an expert chew panel vs. time for a controlled sugar coated pellet gum with encapsulated saccharin and an experimental containing MAG; Figure 4 is a graph of flavor intensity as evaluated by the same chew panel for the same gum samples; Figure 5 is a graph of sweetness intensity as evaluated by an expert chew panel vs. time for a controlled sugar coated pellet gum with encapsulated saccharin and aspartame and an experimental containing MAG; Figure 6 is a graph of flavor intensity as evaluated by the same chew panel for the same gum samples; ; Figure 7 is a graph of sweetness intensity as evaluated by an expert chew panel vs. time for a control sugarless coated pellet gum without intense sweetener and an experimental containing MAG; Figure 8 is a graph of flavor intensity as evaluated by the same chew panel for the same gum samples; Figure 9 is a graph of sweetness intensity as evaluated by an expert chew panel vs. time for a control sugarless coated pellet gum with aspartame and an experimental containing MAG; and Figure 10 is a graph of flavor intensity as evaluated by the same chew panel for the same gum samples.

The intense sweetener glycyrrhizin, is a derivative of licorice root, in which it naturally occurs as glycyrrhizic acid. Glycyrrhizic acid can be ammoniated, the products of which include the mono-ammoniated species of this acid, hereinafter designated MAG.

According to the present invention, there is provided a novel method of prolonging the duration of sweetness and flavor sensation in a chewing gum. The method includes the steps of providing a uniform mixture of gum base, adding a flavoring component and a sweetener other than MAG, adding to the mixture a quantity of MAG sufficient to prolong the flavor and sweetness sensation of the composition, and mixing until the MAG is homogeneously distributed in the matrix of the chewing gum composition.

Chewing gum formulations employing the novel method of the present invention will vary greatly, depending upon various factors such as the type of base used, consistency desired and other components used to make the final product. In general, useful amounts of gum base vary from about 5% to about 50% by weight of the final chewing gum composition with amounts of about 15% to about 25% by weight being preferred.

The gum base may be any water insoluble gum base well known in the art. Illustrative examples of suitable polymers in gum bases include natural and/or synthetic elastomers and rubbers. For example, those polymers which are suitable in gum bases, include, without limitation, substances of vegetable origin such as chicle, gelutong, gutta percha and crown gum.

Synthetic elastomers such as butadiene-styrene copolymers, isobutylene-isoprene copolymers, polyethylene, polyisobutylene, polyvinylacetate and mixtures thereof, are particularly useful. The gum base composition may contain elastomer solvents to aid in softening the rubber component. Such elastomer solvents may comprise methyl, glycerol or pentaerythritol esters of rosins or modified rosins, such as hydrogenated, dimerized or polymerized rosins or mixtures thereof.Examples of elastomer solvents suitable for use herein include the pentaerythritol ester of partially hydrogenated wood rosin, pentaerythritol ester of wood rosin, glycerol ester of wood rosin, glycerol ester of partially dimerized rosin, glycerol ester of polymerized rosin, glycerol ester of tall oil rosin, glycerol ester of wood rosin and partially hydrogenated wood rosin and partially hydrogenated methyl ester of rosin, such as polymers of alpha-pinene or beta-pinene, terpene resins including polyterpene and mixtures thereof. The solvents may be employed in amounts ranging from 10% to about 75% and preferably about 45% to about 70% by weight to the gum base.

A variety of traditional ingredients such as plasticizers or softeners such as lanolin, stearic acid, sodium stearate, potassium stearate, glyceryl triacetate, glycerin and the like are useful, as well as natural waxes and petroleum waxes, such as polyurethane waxes, paraffin waxes and microcrystalline waxes. These ingredients may also be incorporated into the gum base to obtain a variety of desirable textures and consistency properties. These additional materials are generally employed alone or in combination in amounts of up to about 30% by weight and preferably in amounts of from about 3% to about 20% by weight of the chewing gum base composition.

The present invention contemplates the inclusion of those sweeteners well known in the art, to be used in combination with MAG, chosen from the following non-limiting list: sugars such as sucrose, glucose (corn syrup), dextrose, invert sugar, fructose, and mixtures thereof; and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, sorbitol syrup, mannitol, xylitol, and the like. Also contemplated is the non-fermentable sugar substitute hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, which is described in U.S. reissue patent 26,959. Optionally, intense sweeteners, both natural and synthetic may also be included in the method of the present invention.

Intense sweeteners are defined as having a sweetness greater than 20 times that of sucrose. Without being limited to particular intense sweeteners, representative illustrations encompass water soluble intense sweeteners such as the soluble saccharin salts, i.e., sodium or calcium saccharin salts, cyclamate salts, such as the sodium salt and the like, and the free acid form of saccharin; dipeptide based sweeteners such as L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester and materials described in U.S. Patent No. 3,392,131 and the like; dihydrochalcone; Stevia rebaudiana (stevioside); talin and the synthetic sweetener 3,6-dihydro-6-methyl-1,1,2,3-oxa- thiazin-4-one-2,2dioxide, particularly the potassium (acesulfane-K), sodium and calcium salts thereof as described in German patent no. 2,001,017.7, chloro-sucrose derivatives, and mixtures thereof.

Useful amounts of sweetener vary from about 50% to about 90% by weight of the final chewing gum composition with preferred amounts of about 60% to about 70% by weight. Intense sweeteners, if used, are generally in amounts of 0.005% to about 0.60% and preferably between about 0.05% to about 0.45% by weight of the chewing gum composition.

Suitable flavorings include both natural and artificial flavors, and mints such as peppermint, spearmint, menthol, artificial vanilla, cinnamon, and various fruit flavors, both individual and mixed, and the like are contemplated. The flavorings are generally utilized in amounts that will vary depending upon the individual flavor, and may, for example, range in amounts of about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of the final chewing gum composition weight.

MAG is generally used in amounts sufficient to prolong the duration of flavor and sweetness sensation generally on the order of between about 0.01% to about 0.50% by weight, with amounts of between about 0.05% to about 0.15% being preferred.

While the method of the present invention is useful for prolonging the duration of flavor and sweetness sensation without encapsulation of sweetener or flavoring components, or dispersing said components in the gum base, it is also contemplated that MAG can be used in combination with an encapsulated sweetener or flavoring component in a chewing gum composition to extend the duration of flavor or sweetness sensation beyond that extension ordinarily provided by encapsulation of a sweetener or flavoring component alone.

Encapsulated delivery systems for flavoring components or sweeteners comprise a hydrophobic matrix of fat or wax surrounding a sweetener or flavoring component core. The fats may be selected from any number of conventional materials such as fatty acids, glycerides, polyglycerol esters, sorbitol esters, and mixtures thereof. Examples of fatty acids include hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, cotton seed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil and mixtures thereof.

Other fatty acid oils are contemplated. Glycerides which are useful include mono- , di- and triclycerides.

Useful waxes are chosen from among the group consisting of natural or synthetic waxes and mixtures thereof. Non-limiting examples include paraffin wax, petrolatum, carbowax, microcrystalline wax, beeswax, carnuba wax, candellila wax, lanolin, bayberry wax, sugarcane, spermaceti wax, rice bran wax and combinations thereof.

The fats and waxes may be used individually or in combination in amounts varying from about 10 to about 70% by weight of the delivery system, and preferably in amounts of about 40 to about 58% by weight. When used as a combination, the fat and wax are preferably present in a ratio of about 70:10 to about 85:15 of fat to wax.

Typical encapsulated flavor or sweetness delivery systems are disclosed in Sharma et al., U.S.

Patent No. 4,597,970 and Cherukuri et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,722,845.

The chewing gum composition may additionally include the conventional additives of flavoring agent, coloring agents such as titanium dioxide; softeners such as lecithin and glyceryl monostearate; and additional fillers such as aluminum hydroxide, alumina, aluminum silicates, calcium carbonate, talc, and combinations thereof. These fillers may also be used in the gum base in various amounts. Preferably the amount of fillers when used will vary from about 4% to about 30% by weight of the final chewing gum composition.

The colorants useful in the present invention, include the pigments such as titanium dioxide, and may be incorporated in amounts of up to about 1% by weight, and preferably up to about 0.6% by weight. Also, the colorants may include other dyes suitable for food, drug and cosmetic applications, and known as FD & dyes and the like. The materials accessible for the foregoing spectrum of use are preferably water-soluble.

Illustrative examples include indigoid dye, known as FD & Blue #2, which is the disodium salt of 5,5'indigotindisulfonic acid. Similarly, the dye known as FD & Green Xl,.comprises a triphenylmethane dye and is the monosodium salt of 4-t4-(N-ethyl-p-sulfobenzyl- amino) diphenylmethylene J - (1- (N-ethyl-N-p-sulfoniumben- zyl)-2,5-cyclohexadieneamine). A full recitation of all FD & and D & dyes and other corresponding chemical structures may be found in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, in Volume 5, at pages 857-884, which text is accordingly incorporated herein by reference.

The chewing gums of the invention may be in any form of the art, such as stick gum, slab gum, chewing gum, chunk gum, shredded gum, hard coated gum, tableted gum as well as center-filled gum.

The process embodying the method of the present invention is as follows. The gum base is conventionally melted at temperatures that may range from about 60- to about 120it for a period of time sufficient to render the base molten. For example, the gum base may be heated under these conditions for a period of about 30 minutes just prior to mixing with the remaining ingredients of the gum composition.

A preferred procedure involves mixing the gum base with the softener until a uniform homogeneous mass is obtained, then a portion of the bulk sweetening agent (normally one half) is added to the heated gum base and blending is continued until a homogeneous mass is prepared, preferably up to 5 minutes. The remaining sweetener and flavoring are added and again blended to form a uniform composition. Finally, the MAG together with the intense sweetener, if any, is added along with the remainder of the ingredients, including the colorant, if any, and other additives, and the resulting composition is then mixed for a period of time that may range as high as 30 minutes, to form a fully uniform homogeneous composition. The mass is then removed from the mixer and is allowed to cool further and may thereafter be formed into various final shapes by known gum manufacturing techniques.For example, the mass may be rolled in contact with a conventional dusting medium, which is calcium carbonate, mannitol, talc and others.

All of the techniques associated with the preparation of the products in these forms are well-known and the present method may vary somewhat depending upon the specific end product to be manufactured without departing from the essential parameters relating to the addition of MAG in combination with a flavoring component and a sweetener other than NAG. Such other details are presented for purposes of illustration, and to provide a best mode for the practice of the invention, and therefore the invention should not be limited to those parameters.

The following examples serve to provide further appreciation of the invention but are not meant in any way to restrict the effective scope of the invention. All percentages throughout the specification are by weight % of the total chewing gum composition unless otherwise indicated and the total contents of the chewing gum composition will be 100% by weight.

COATING PROCEDURE USED IN THE EXAMPLES Control and experimental samples of sugar-coated and sugarless-coated pellet gums are prepared having the following standard coatings: TABLE I - SUGAR COATING Percent by Weight Ingredient of Total Piece Sugar 39.44 Starch 0.50 Flavor Oil(s) 0.04 Polishing Wax 0.02 Gum pieces to be coated are added to a coating vessel. Spray coatings of water-based syrups including sugar, starch and flavor oils are applied to the pieces and dried between coats. Optionally, the pieces are dusted with powdered sugar and/or starch between coatings and then polished with waxes and/or confectionary glazes.

TABLE II - SUGARLESS COATING.

Percent by Weight Ingredient Of Total Piece Sorbitol Liquid 30.10 Sorbitol 4.30 Gum Arabic 0.20 Flavor(s) 0.15 Polishing Wax(es) 0.03 Calcium Carbonate USP 1.30 Titanium Dioxide 0.40 Methylcellulose 0.40 Hydroxypropyl cellulose 0.20 The gum pieces are spray-coated with the sorbitol coating as desdribed in Silva, U.S. Patent No. 4,753,790. The disclosure of the spray application of sorbitol coatings in U.S. Patent No. 4,753,790 is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

EXAMPLE I Control and experimental samples of a sugar-coated pellet gum are prepared according to the following formulation: TABLE III Percent by Weight Ingredient Of Total Piece Gum Center Control Experimental Gum Base 13.70 13.70 Sugar 37.80 37.74 Corn Syrup 8.00 8.00 Flavor Oils 0.50 0.50 MAG ~ 0.06 Coating Shell Sugar Sugar Relative sweetness and flavor intensity of the two compositions as determined by an expert chew panel at intervals of 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.The experimental sample with MAG demonstrates prolonged sweetness and flavor intensity compared to the control sample. EXAMPLE II Control and experimental samples of a sugar coated pellet gum with an encapsulated saccharin are prepared according to the following formulation: TABLE IV Percent by Weight Ingredient Of Total Piece Gum Center Control Experimental Gum Base 13.70 13.70 Sugar 37.16 37.10 Corn Syrup 8.00 8.00 Flavor Oil(s) 0.50 0.50 Saccharin Encapsulation 0.64 0.64 MAG - 0.06 Coating Sugar Sugar Relative sweetness and flavor intensity of the two compositions are determined as Example I and shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The experimental sample with MAG demonstrates prolonged sweetness and flavor intensity compared to the control sample.

EXAMPLE III Control and experimental samples of a sugar-coated pellet gum with an encapsulated saccharin and aspartame are prepared according to the following formulation: TABLE V Percent by Weight Inaredient Of Total Piece Gum Center Control Experimental Gum Base 13.70 13.70 Sugar 37.10 37.04 Corn Syrup 8.00 8.00 Flavor Oil(s) 0.50 0.50 Saccharin Encapsulation 0.64 0.64 Aspartame 0.06 0.06 MAG - 0.06 Coating Sugar Sugar Relative sweetness and flavor intensity of the two compositions are determined as in Example I and shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The experimental sample with MAG demonstrates prolonged sweetness and flavor intensity compared to the control sample.

EXAMPLE IV Control and experimental samples of a sugarless coated pellet gum without intense sweeteners are prepared according to the following formulation: TABLE VI Percent by Weight Inaredient of Total Piece Gum Center ' Control Exoerimental Gum Base 22.10 22.10 Sorbitol 29.52 29.42 Mannitol 7.60 7.60 Glycerin 2.50 2.50 Lecithin 0.30 0.30 Wesson Oil 0.30 0.30 Flavor(s) 0.60 0.60 MAG - 1.00 Coating Sugarless Sugarless Relative sweetness and flavor intensity of the two compositions are determined as in Example I and shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The experimental sample of MAG demonstrates prolonged sweetness and flavor intensity compared to the control sample.

EXAMPLE V Control and experimental samples of a sugarless coated pellet gum with aspartame are prepared according to the following formulation: TABLE VIZ Percent by Weight Ingredient Of Total Piece Gum Center Control Experimental Gum Base 22.10 22.10 Sorbitol 29.25 29.19 Mannitol 7.60 7.60 Glycerin 2.50 2.50 Lecithin 0.30 0.30 Wesson Oil 0.30 0.30 Flavor(s) 0.60 0.60 Aspartame 0.27 0.27 MAG - 0.60 Coating Sugarless Sugarless Relative sweetness and flavor intensity of the two compositions are determined as in Example I and shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The experimental sample with MAG demonstrates prolonged sweetness and flavor intensity compared to the control sample.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (14)

1. A process for the preparation of a chewing gum composition which comprises: forming a uniform mixture of a gum base, a flavouring component and a sweetener other than monoammoniated glycyrrhizin; adding to that mixture a quantity of monoammoniated glycyrrhizin sufficient to prolong the flavour and sweetness of the composition; and mixing until the mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin is homogeneously distributed in the matrix of the chewing gum composition.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the gum base is selected from natural elastomers, synthetic elastomers and mixtures thereof.

3. A process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gum base is present in an amount ranging between 5% to 30% by weight of the chewing gum composition.

4. A process according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the uniform mixture further comprises at least one additive selected from plasticizers, bulking agents, fillers, mineral adjuvants, colouring agents and mixtures thereof.

5. A process according to any preceding claim, which further includes adding the mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin in combination with an intense sweetener selected from free saccharin acid, saccharin salts, cyclamate salts, L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, dihydrochalcone, 3,4-dihydro-6-methyl-1,2,3 oxathiazine-4-one-2 , 2-dioxide, steviosides, talin, chlorosucrose derivatives and mixtures thereof.

6. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin is present in an amount ranging between 0.01% to 0.50% by weight of the chewing gum composition.

7. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the sweetener other than mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin is encapsulated in a hydrophobic matrix of fat or wax.

8. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the flavouring component is encapsulated in a hydrophobic matrix of fat or wax.

9. A process according to any preceding claim, which further includes forming the mixture to which mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin has been added into a predetermined form.

10. A process according to claim 9, which further includes coating the predetermined form with a coating syrup selected from sugarless and sugar-containing coating syrups.

11. A process substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the Examples.

12. A chewing gum composition as prepared by the process of any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A chewing gum composition which comprises a gum base and, in the matrix of the gum composition, mono-ammoniated glycyrrhizin in combination with a sweetener or flavouring component.

14. A chewing gum composition substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Examples.