RU2355183C2 - Pressed biodegradable chewing gum - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food products.

SUBSTANCE: first object of the invention are chewing gum granulae containing at least one biodegradable polymer. Herewith chewing gum base contains water in quantity of 0%-1.5% comparing to the chewing gum base mass. The second object of the invention is pressed chewing gum including chewing gum base with water content of 0%-1.5% comparing to chewing gum base mass.

EFFECT: obtaining chewing gum with pleasant grain structure and degradable polymer contained in chewing gum base granulae is kept from preliminary degrading.

30 cl, 3 dwg, 11 tbl, 5 ex

Description

The present invention relates to chewing gum granules and chewing gum made from such chewing gum granules.

Several different chewing gum production methods are known in the art. A variety of methods in general can be classified into two main methods that differ from each other; it is chewing gum obtained by mechanical mixing from a substance that is the basis of chewing gum, or chewing gum obtained by pressing from more or less discrete particles of the base. The advantage of the first type of chewing gum, among a number of other parameters, mainly lies in a pleasant texture, which is most likely due to the mechanical mixing of polymers and, for example, flavor additives. However, one of the drawbacks of methods of this type and the chewing gum obtained with them is that various ingredients, such as encapsulated flavorings, active ingredients, etc., can more or less break down or decompose during the mixing process.

The advantage of the second type of chewing gum is mainly due to the relatively mild processing of sensitive additives, such as the flavorings or active ingredients mentioned above. However, one of the disadvantages of this type of chewing gum is that the resulting chewing gum plate may tend to disintegrate too quickly, especially during the initial chewing of the gum.

In the previous technique, various proposals have been put forward with the aim of producing pressed chewing gum. Typically, such techniques are aimed at improving the production process. WO 03/011045 discloses a technique whereby sticking or adhering a mass of chewing gum to equipment manufacturing plates is controlled by controlling the size of the granules in the mixture.

A problem related to the prior art generally lies in the fact that chewing gum residues cause significant inconvenience both from an environmental perspective and from pieces of chewing gum that are not properly destroyed, etc.

Another problem associated with pressed chewing gum is that the granules used must inherit the mechanical resistance to compression, thereby avoiding premature crumbling of the plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to chewing gum base granules containing at least one biodegradable polymer.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a mechanically stable extruded chewing gum plate is obtained by using at least one biodegradable polymer as an integral part of the base of the extruded chewing gum plate.

Thus, experiments showed that a pressed chewing gum plate, characterized by improved mechanical stability, can be obtained through the use of biodegradable polymers, which partially or entirely form the polymer matrix of the chewing gum base.

In addition, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, it was found that the wafer obtained according to the present invention is relatively stable against the intended initial chewing compared to conventional non-degradable polymer-based pressed chewing gum wafers.

It should be emphasized that although the present invention primarily focuses on several particularly preferred groups of biodegradable polymers, the invention relates to biodegradable polymers as a whole, in the sense that the unexpected result of obtaining a mechanically stable extruded wafer compared to chewing gum obtained by conventional mixing refers to such polymers in general, despite decomposition before chewing.

In one embodiment of the invention, said chewing gum base generally comprises at least one biodegradable polymer.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the chewing gum base is advantageously made using only one or more biodegradable polymers. Experiments have again shown that such a chewing gum base obtained from chewing gum base granules is successfully applicable.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of said biodegradable polymers comprises a polyester obtained by reacting at least one alcohol or derivative thereof and at least one acid or derivative thereof.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the polymers is prepared by reacting at least one alcohol and at least one acid. This type of polymer is characterized by useful properties when used in chewing gum or chewing gum base both in terms of processing and in relation to the resulting texture.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of said biodegradable elastomers comprises said polyester obtained by polymerization of at least one cyclic ether.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of said biodegradable elastomeric softeners comprises said polyester obtained by polymerization of at least one cyclic ether.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum comprises at least one elastomer softener comprising at least one of said polyesters obtained by polymerization of at least one cyclic ester and at least at least one elastomer comprising at least one of said polyesters obtained by reaction of at least one alcohol or its derivative and at least one acid or its derivative.

The advantage of mixing the two types of polymers is that the high degree of degradability inherent in biodegradable polymers used as softeners of elastomers can be combined with the beneficial properties of biodegradable elastomer, in terms of resistance to added softeners, as well as texture, release and suitability for recyclable.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the gum base comprises water in an amount of less than 5 wt.%, Preferably less than 1.5 wt.%, By weight of the gum base.

In general, in the case of biodegradable polymers, it is preferable to maintain a low moisture content. However, in accordance with the present invention, since the use of compression techniques slows down the primary decomposition before using chewing gum, a higher moisture content is allowed in a compressed chewing gum compared to a biodegradable chewing gum obtained by conventional mixing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the gum base comprises water in an amount of less than 1.0 wt.%, Preferably substantially 0 wt.% Of the base weight.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the size of the granules of the basis of chewing gum is in the range from 0.01x0.01 mm to 2x2 mm, preferably in the range from 0.1x0.1 mm to 1.0x1.0 mm.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one biodegradable polymer comprises, by weight, from about 1% to about 100% by weight of the gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said granular chewing gum base comprises at least one high molecular weight elastomeric biodegradable polymer in an amount of from about 0 wt.% To about 75 wt.% Of the weight of said chewing gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the number average molecular weight (Mn) of said at least one high molecular weight elastomeric biodegradable polymer is from about 10,000 g / mol to 800,000 g / mol.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said granular chewing gum base comprises at least one low molecular weight elastomer solvent in an amount of from about 0 wt.% To about 90 wt.% Of the weight of said chewing gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the number average molecular weight (Mn) of said at least one low molecular weight elastomer solvent is from about 1000 g / mol to about 50,000 g / mol.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the chewing gum base granules contain a sweetener in an amount of less than 50 wt.%.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the base of chewing gum, as a rule, does not contain lubricants, anti-adhesion agents, and glidants.

In one embodiment of the present invention, natural resins provide an improved and viscous chewing gum base texture when used in a chewing gum formulation.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum base generally does not contain wax.

In an embodiment of the invention, said chewing gum base is generally free of fat.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum base comprises a filler in an amount of from about 0 wt.% To about 50 wt.% By weight of the chewing gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum base granules comprise active ingredients, wherein at least a portion of said active ingredients is introduced into the chewing gum granules or at least a portion of the chewing gum granules before being compressed. .

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum base comprises a synthetic resin in an amount of from about 15 wt.% To about 99 wt.%, Preferably from about 15 wt.% To about 80 wt.%, By weight of the chewing gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum base comprises emulsifiers and / or fats in an amount of from about 10% to about 40% by weight of the gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum base comprises wax in an amount of from about 2 wt.% To about 30 wt.% By weight of the chewing gum base.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the flavoring agents are introduced into the chewing gum base or at least a portion of the chewing gum base before being pressed.

In an embodiment of the invention, said at least one biodegradable polymer comprises at least one polyester obtained by polymerizing at least one substance selected from the group consisting of cyclic esters, alcohols or their derivatives, and carboxylic acids or their derivatives.

In one embodiment of the invention, said chewing gum base granules comprise at least one non-biodegradable polymer.

In addition, the present invention relates to a compressed chewing gum made on the basis of at least one biodegradable polymer.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, pressed chewing gum is made on the basis of granules of the basis of chewing gum according to any one of paragraphs. 1-25 claims.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the polymers included in the chewing gum are biodegradable.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said chewing gum granules are mixed and pressed together with chewing gum ingredients, preferably powdered chewing gum ingredients such as a sweetener, flavoring, filler or emulsifiers.

In one of the embodiments of the present invention, the water content is less than 5 wt.%, Preferably less than 1.5 wt.% By weight of the basis of chewing gum.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the water content is typically 0%.

In an embodiment of the invention, said biodegradable chewing gum base comprises at least two biodegradable polymers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said biodegradable base granules are used in conjunction with conventional non-biodegradable chewing gum base granules.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In the description of the present invention, reference will be made to the following drawings, which illustrate the formation of decay products measured by GC / MS in the free space above the liquid:

Figure 1 illustrates the formation of decomposition products in a compressed chewing gum containing three different chewing gum bases: one standard base and two different biodegradable chewing gum bases.

Figure 2 illustrates the formation of decomposition products in pressed chewing gum and in chewing gum obtained by conventional mixing.

Figure 3 illustrates the formation of decomposition products in chewing gum containing various amounts of water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, the term "molecular weight a" means number average molecular weight (Mn). The abbreviation PD means polydispersity.

The glass transition temperature can be determined, for example, using DSC (DSC: differential scanning calorimetry). DSC can mainly be used to determine and study thermal transitions of a polymer, and, specifically, this technique can be used to determine second-order transitions in a material, i.e. thermal transitions, which include a change in heat capacity, but do not have latent heat. Glass transition is a second order transition.

Typically, in the examples described below in the detailed description, two different types of polymers can be called type 1 polyesters and type 2 polyesters. Type 1 polyesters are generally referred to as polyesters obtained by reaction of at least one alcohol or its derivative and, according to at least one acid or its derivative. Further characterization of the polyester polymers of this type is given in the description and claims. Type 2 polyester is generally called a polyester polymer obtained by polymerization of at least one cyclic ether. Further characterization of the polyester polymers of this type is given in the description and claims.

In the context of the present invention, the terms “environmentally degradable” or “biodegradable polymer compounds” refer to chewing gum base components which, after being disposed of in chewing gum, are capable of undergoing physical, chemical and / or biological degradation, thereby discarding chewing gum waste become more easily removed from the place of ejection or, finally, disintegrate into pieces or particles that can no longer be regarded as chewing residues flax gum. The decomposition or destruction of such degradable polymers can be carried out or caused by the action of physical factors, such as temperature, light, moisture, the action of chemical factors, such as hydrolysis caused by a change in pH, or the action of enzymes capable of destroying polymers. In other applicable embodiments, all of the polymer components of the chewing gum base are environmentally degradable or biodegradable polymers.

The final decomposition products are preferably carbon dioxide, methane and water.

According to the preferred definition of biodegradability of the present invention, biodegradability is a property of certain biological molecules, due to which, under the influence of the natural environment or when they enter a living organism, they react as part of an enzymatic or microbial process, often in combination with a purely chemical a process, such as hydrolysis, with the formation of simpler compounds and, ultimately, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and water.

Accordingly, suitable examples of other environmentally biodegradable or biodegradable chewing gum base polymers that can be used for the chewing gum base of the present invention include degradable polyesters, poly (ether carbonates), polycarbonates, polyethyramides, polypeptides, amino acid homopolymers such as polylysine and proteins including protein derivatives, such as, for example, protein hydrolysates, including zein hydrolysates. Particularly useful compounds of this type include polyester polymers obtained by polymerization of one or more cyclic esters such as lactides, glycolides, trimethylene carbonates, δ-valerolactone, β-propiolactone and ε-caprolactone, as well as polyesters obtained by polycondensation of a mixture of polyacids and polyols with open chain, for example, adipic acid and di (ethylene glycol). Hydroxycarboxylic acids, such as, for example, 6-hydroxycaproic acid, can also be used to form polyesters, or they can be used in combination with mixtures of polyacids and polyols. Such degradable polymers can be homopolymers or copolymers, including block polymers.

The following examples are provided to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention.

Example 1

Obtaining type 2 polyester resin

A resin sample is obtained using a cylindrical glass experimental reactor with a 10-liter jacket equipped with a stirrer with a glass rod and Teflon blades, as well as an outlet at the bottom. The contents of the reactor are heated by circulating silicone oil, thermostatically controlled at 130 ° C through the outer jacket. Ε-caprolactone (358.87 g, 3.145 mol) and 1,2-propylene glycol (79.87 g, 1.050 mol) and with them tin octoate (1.79 g, 4.42 × 10 ^-3 mol) are charged to the reactor ) as a catalyst, after which they react for approximately 30 minutes at 130 ° C. Then molten D, L-lactide (4.877 kg, 33.84 mol) is added and the reaction is continued for approximately another 2 hours. After this period, the outlet at the bottom is opened and the molten polymer is allowed to drain into the Teflon-coated paint container.

The study of the product properties gives the following parameters M _n = 6100 g / mol, M _w = 7100 g / mol (gel permeation chromatography with the MALLS online detector) and T _g = 25-30 ° C (DSC, heating rate 10 ° C / min) .

Obtaining type 2 polyester elastomer

An elastomer sample is synthesized in a glove box filled with dry N ₂ as follows. 3.152 g of pentaerythritol and 0.5768 g of Sn (Oct) ₂ (3.56 ml of 4.27% (w / w) are charged into a 500 ml resin reactor equipped with an overhead mechanical stirrer (10 mm rod)). about) solution in methylene chloride). Methylene chloride is allowed to evaporate in a stream of N ₂ for 15 minutes. Then ε-caprolactone (1148 g, 10 mol), trimethylene carbonate (31 g, 0.30 mol) and δ-valerolactone (511 g, 5.1 mol) are added. The resin producing reactor is immersed in an oil bath at a constant temperature of 130 ° C. and the contents are stirred for 13.4 hours. Then the reactor is removed from the oil bath and allowed to cool to room temperature. The solid, elastic product is removed in small pieces using a knife and placed in a plastic container.

The study of the product properties gives the following parameters M _n = 88812 g / mol, M _w = 297000 g / mol (gel permeation chromatography with the MALLS online detector) and T _g = -59.4 ° C (DSC, heating rate 10 ° C / min )

Obtaining type 1 polyester elastomer

An elastomer sample is prepared using a 500 ml resin synthesis reactor equipped with an overhead stirrer, a nitrogen gas supply tube, a thermometer and a reflux condenser to remove methanol. 83.50 g (0.43 mol) of dimethyl terephthalate, 99.29 g (0.57 mol) of dimethyl adipate, 106.60 g (1.005 mol) of di (ethylene glycol) and 0.6 g of calcium acetate monohydrate are charged to the reactor. In a nitrogen atmosphere, the mixture is slowly heated with stirring until all components are melted (120-140 ° C). Heating and stirring are continued, during which methanol is gradually distilled off. The temperature is slowly raised to 150-200 ° C until the evolution of methanol ceases. Stop heating and allow the contents to cool to about 100 ° C. The reactor plug was removed and the molten polymer was carefully poured into a collection vessel.

The study of the product properties gives the following parameters M _n = 50,000 g / mol, M _w = 100,000 g / mol (gel permeation chromatography with the MALLS online detector) and T _g = -30 ° C (DSC, heating rate 10 ° C / min).

By analogy with the type 1 polyester described above, polymers of this type in the framework of the present invention can mainly be obtained by stepwise polycondensation of di-, tri- or polyfunctional alcohols or their esters with di-, tri- or polyfunctional aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acids or their ethers. Similarly, hydroxyacids or anhydrides or halides of polyfunctional carboxylic acids can also be used as monomers. The polymerization may include directly polyesterification or transesterification and may be catalyzed. The use of branched monomers reduces the crystallinity of the polyester polymers. The alternation of different monomer units along the polymer chain also reduces the degree of crystallinity. To control the reaction and the molecular weight of the resulting polymer, it is possible to stop the growth of polymer chains by adding monofunctional alcohols or acids and / or using a stoichiometric imbalance between acid and alcohol groups or ether derivatives. The addition of long-chain aliphatic carboxylic acids or aromatic monocarboxylic acids can also be used to control the degree of branching of the polymer and, conversely, multifunctional monomers are sometimes used to create branching. In addition, after polymerization, monofunctional compounds can be used as plugs for free hydroxyl and carboxyl groups.

Polyfunctional carboxylic acids are typically high melting point solids which have very limited solubility in the polycondensation reaction medium. To overcome this limitation, polyfunctional carboxylic acid esters or anhydrides are often used. Polycondensation reactions involving carboxylic acids or anhydrides lead to the formation of water as a condensation product, and its removal requires a high temperature. Thus, polycondensations, including transesterification of a polyfunctional acid ester, are often the preferred method. For example, terephthalic acid dimethyl ester can be used in place of terephthalic acid itself. In this case, the condensation product is methanol, not water, and it can be removed much more easily than water. Typically, the reaction is carried out in a volume of reacting substances (without solvent), and high temperatures and vacuum are used to remove reaction by-products and bring the reaction to completion. In addition to esters or anhydrides, carboxylic acid halides may be used in some cases.

Generally, polyfunctional carboxylic acids or derivatives thereof, which are preferred for the preparation of type 1 polyesters, are saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic and contain from 2 to 100 carbon atoms and more preferably from 4 to 18 carbon atoms. Some examples of carboxylic acids useful in the preparation of type 1 polyesters, which may be used alone or as derivatives, include aliphatic polyfunctional carboxylic acids such as oxalic, malonic, citric, succinic, malic, tartaric, fumaric, maleic, glutaric, glutamic adipic, glycaric, pimelic, cork, azelaic, sebacic, dodecandioic acid, etc., and cyclic aliphatic polyfunctional carboxylic acids, such as cyclopropanedicarboxylic acid, cy lobutanedicarboxylic acid, cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid, etc., as well as aromatic polyfunctional carboxylic acids such as terephthalic, isophthalic, phthalic, trimellitic, pyromellitic and naphthalene 1,4-, 2,3-, 2,6-dicarboxylic acids, etc. P. For purposes of illustration, and not to limit the scope of the invention, some examples of carboxylic acid derivatives include hydroxy acids, such as 3-hydroxypropionic acid and 6-hydroxycaproic acid and their anhydrides, acid halides or esters, for example dimethyl or diethyl ethers corresponding to the already mentioned acids, which means esters such as dimethyl or diethyl oxalate, malonate, succinate, fumarate, maleate, glutarate, adipate, pimelate, suerate, azelate, sebacinate, dodecandioate, terephthalate, isophthalate, phthalate, etc. Generally speaking, methyl esters are sometimes preferable to ethyl esters due to the fact that alcohols with a higher molecular weight are more difficult to remove than alcohols with a lower molecular weight.

In addition, as a rule, preferred polyfunctional alcohols contain from 2 to 100 carbon atoms, such as, for example, polyglycols and polyglycerols. Some examples of alcohols useful in the process for producing type 1 polymers that can be used alone or in the form of derivatives include polyols such as ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1, 4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, diethylene glycol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, neopentyl glycol, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, etc. For purposes of illustration, and not limitation of the scope of the invention, some examples of alcohol derivatives include triacetin, glycerol palmitate, glycerol sebacinate, glycerol adipate, tripropionin, etc.

In addition, with regard to the polymerization of type 1 polyesters, substances sometimes used to stop chain growth are monofunctional compounds. Preferably, they are either monohydric alcohols containing 1-20 carbon atoms or monocarboxylic acids containing 2-26 carbon atoms. Common examples of these compounds are fatty alcohols and medium and long chain acids, and specific examples include monohydric alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, butanol, hexanol, octanol, etc., as well as lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, stearic alcohol, etc., and monocarboxylic acids such as acetic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachinic, cerotic, dodecyl, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, linolenic, e, aphthoic acid and substituted naphthoic acids: 1-methyl-2-naphthoic acid and 2-isopropyl-1-naphthoic acid, etc.

Typically, in the polymerization of type 1 polymers, an acidic or transesterification catalyst is used, and non-limiting examples of such catalysts are metal-containing catalysts such as manganese, zinc, calcium, cobalt or magnesium acetates, as well as antimony (III) oxide, germanium oxide or halide and tetraalkoxy germanium, titanium alkoxide, zinc or aluminum salts.

By analogy with examples related to type 2 polyesters, polymers of this type can typically be prepared by polymerization, including ring opening of one or more cyclic ethers, which include glycolides, lactides, lactones and carbonates. The polymerization process may occur in the presence of a suitable catalyst, such as tin octoate, and may be initiated.

Example 2

Obtaining the basics of chewing gum and granulate the basis of chewing gum

Chewing gum bases have the composition shown in the following table 1:

Table 1 Chewing gum formulations. Starting materials Biobase A Biobase B Standard base Standard Conventional Elastomer 16.50 Standard plain resin 26.10 Polyester-based Elastomer 1 33,50 Polyester 2 Elastomer 34.80 Polyester 2 Resin 52,20 53.50 Filler 5.00 5.00 30.50 Emulsifier 2.00 2.00 7.80 Fat 2.00 2.00 19.10 Wax 4.00 4.00 Menthol 0-1 0-1 0-1 Numbers refer to wt.%

Individual chewing gum bases are prepared as follows:

elastomers are added to the mixing vessel equipped with mixing means, for example, horizontally arranged Z-shaped blades. The elastomers are crushed into small pieces and softened in containers by mechanical action and the addition of a softener. A suitable emollient may, for example, include a flavoring agent, i.e. in the described embodiments, the implementation of menthol flavoring.

A set of emollients, including emulsifiers, fats and / or wax, is slowly added to the mixture and stirring is continued until a chewing gum base is homogeneous. Mixing time, as a rule, ranges from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the composition and technology of mixing. The temperature during mixing is usually in the range of 50 ° C to 120 ° C.

Then, the resulting mixture is unloaded into a pallet or pads are formed from it and allowed to cool from a discharge temperature of 50 ° C -120 ° C to room temperature.

Obviously, according to the present invention, other methods of making a chewing gum base can be used.

Then, the obtained chewing gum bases are processed to obtain a granulate consisting of small granules of the chewing gum base, which can subsequently be tabletted by compression with other chewing gum ingredients.

The method used to obtain the desired granulate chewing gum base, involves the initial formation of macrospheres of the chewing gum base, for example, of a size of approximately 0.5 × 0.5 cm by cutting or stamping. The macrobeads are mixed with a bulk sweetener sorbitol in a ratio of 1: 1. The resulting mixture is frozen and crushed or ground with cooling. Then, the obtained chewing gum base granules are sieved to obtain particles of the intended size. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a particle size of granules of less than 1 mm x 1 mm is maintained. According to another embodiment of the invention, when biodegradable polymers are used, it is possible to grind without the usual addition of sorbitol.

Obviously, several other granulation techniques can be used in accordance with the present invention, for example, the methods described in WO 8603967, EP 513978, US 4405647, US 5866179, WO 9721424, PCT / DK03 / 00070 and PCT / DK / 00465, which are included in the present application by reference.

Example 3

Getting chewing gum

The formulation of pressed chewing gum is made as shown in table 2:

Table 2: Composition of pressed chewing gum. Starting materials Ingredient Content (%) Chewing gum base 40 Sorbitol 55.40 Flavoring powder 2,30 Aspartame 0.15 Acesulfame 0.15 Mg stearate 2.00 Numbers refer to wt.% In the total chewing gum composition

The final compressed chewing gum is prepared according to a standard method known in the art, comprising the steps of mixing the chewing gum base granules with other powdered chewing gum ingredients, optionally sieving the mixture, tabletting the sieved mixture by compression, and optionally coating the plate.

In addition to obtaining the aforementioned compressed chewing gum plates, also non-compressed chewing gum plates are further prepared. These wafers are prepared for comparison purposes, wherein the method employed comprises conventional mechanical mixing of the constituents of the chewing gum, which is substantially identical to the composition of the compressed chewing gum.

The various types of tablets obtained are shown in table 3.

Table 3: Types of plates obtained using various types of substrates and coatings and in various ways, which include either pressing or conventional mixing. Record Type Way Chewing gum base Coating A Pressed Standard base No B Pressed Standard base Xylitol C Pressed Standard base Film D Pressed Biobase A No E Pressed Biobase A Xylitol F Pressed Biobase A Film G Pressed Biobase B No H Pressed Biobase B Xylitol I Pressed Biobase B Film J Conventional mix Standard base No K Conventional mix Standard base Xylitol L Conventional mix Biobase A No M Conventional mix Biobase A Xylitol N Conventional mix Biobase B No O Conventional mix Biobase B Xylitol

Other types of plates are obtained by changing the water content. Water is added by adding various amounts of maltitol syrup (contains 30% water). A method of obtaining these plates includes conventional mixing.

Table 4: Types of plates containing bio base A and varying amounts of water. The values shown represent an additional percentage of water in excess of 1.5% found in chewing gum obtained by conventional mixing.

Record Type Water content P 0% Q one% R 2% S four% T 6% U 8%

Example 4

Evaluation of the degradation of chewing gum in water

A visual assessment was performed to measure pH and GC / MS to examine the decomposition of unused chewing gum during and after the first week of decomposition of the gum in water.

The results of the visual assessment related to chewing gum wafers that are placed in demineralized water are presented in Table 5 below. It should be noted that the table includes the evaluation of samples aged at 40 ° C, along with other samples of identical types of wafers held at a temperature 60 ° C. Each of the samples is maintained at the same temperature throughout the entire period of the experiment.

The following grading scale applies:

0: The core of the plate is basically intact, and the liquid remains clear.

1: The core of the tablet is basically intact, and slight free particle formation is observed in the liquid.

2: An initial crumbling of the tablet core is observed due to the formation of more free particles in the liquid.

3: Free particles predominate, the core of the tablet gradually decreases.

4: The nucleus completely decays into small particles.

Table 5: Visual evaluation of the decomposition results when placing chewing gum plates in demineralized water at 40 ° C or 60 ° C. Record Type The basis of chew. Coating Score 40 ° C day 2 Score 40 ° C day 6 Score 60 ° C day 2 Score 60 ° C day 3 Score 60 ° C day 6 Score 60 ° C day 8 Pressed A St. Basis No one 2 3 3 3 four B St. Basis Xylitol 2 3 3 four four four D Bio a No 0 0 one one one one E Bio a Xylitol one one one one one one G Bio B No 0 0 0 one 2 3 H Bio B Xylitol 1 or 2 1 or 2 2 2 2 3 conventional mixing J St. Basis No 0 0 0 0 0 * 0 K St. Basis Xylitol 0 0 0 0 0 0 L Bio a No 0 0 0 0, T1 0, T2 0, T2 M Bio a Xylitol 0, W 0, W 0, W 0, W 0, W, T1 0, W, T2 N Bio B No 0 0 0 0, T1 0, T2 0, T2 O Bio B Xylitol 0, W 0, W 0, W 0, W 0, W, T1 0, W, T2

In each row of the table are two samples showing the same results. Separate figures show the degree of destruction of certain pieces of chewing gum. “T” indicates an increase in chewing gum pieces, with T1 indicating a slight increase and T2 a more significant one. “W” indicates that the solution is white, which can be attributed to the dissolution of the coating material. The * symbol marks the appearance of yellow in demineralized water.

The plate types indicated as C, F and I are not included in Table 5 because of the fact that the quick and complete initial dissolution of the film coating interferes with the visual assessment, as the water surrounding the plate acquires a milky white color from the first day of the experiment.

When evaluating the data of Table 5, it should be noted that pressed chewing gum made on the basis of biodegradable polymers is more stable before use than its analogue based on a conventional polymer. This result is very unexpected, because it would be expected that destruction before use would lead to a weakening of the already weak structure, which is generally characteristic of pressed chewing gum plates.

In addition, another observation is that biobase A containing type 2 polymers is more stable than biobase B containing a mixture of type 2 and type 1 polymers.

The following table shows the pH measurements of demineralized water in which the above chewing gum plates are placed.

Table 6: pH of demineralized water into which chewing gum plates are placed Record Type Basis zh.rez. Coating 40 ° C day1 40 ° C day2 40 ° C day6 40 ° C day7 60 ° C day1 60 ° C day2 60 ° C day6 60 ° C day7 Pressed A St. Basis No 6.5 6.3 7.3 6.4 6.9 6.9 6.4 6.3 B St. Basis Xylitol 6.7 6.5 7.3 6.3 6.8 6.7 6.2 6.4 C St. Basis Film 6.6 6.6 - 5.3 7.0 6.9 6.2 6.0 D Bio a No 6.3 5.8 6.4 5.9 5.7 5.8 4.8 4.2 E Bio a Xylitol 6.1 - 6.6 6.1 5,4 - 4.4 4.3 F Bio a Film 6.2 - - 6.1 5,4 - 4.8 4.4 G Bio B No 6.3 5.7 6.0 5.9 6.1 5.9 4.8 4.3 H Bio B Xylitol 6.3 - 6.4 6.2 6.2 - 4.8 4.4 I Bio B Film 6.2 6.3 6.1 5,6 6.1 5.7 4.8 4.8 Conventional mix J St. Basis No 5,4 5,6 6.1 5.9 5,0 5.9 6.2 6.4 K St. Basis Xylitol 6.6 - 6.0 6.4 7.5 5,4 6.1 6.6 L Bio a No 3.2 - 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.4 - 3.6 M Bio a Xylitol 3.4 3.4 3.6 3,5 3,5 3,5 3.6 3.6 N Bio B No 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.4 - 3.8 3,5 O Bio B Xylitol 3.4 3.4 3.6 3,5 3.6 3.6 3,7 3.6

The results obtained for chewing gum, including a standard base of chewing gum, show that the pH remains virtually unchanged from 1 to 7 days in both tests with pressed chewing gum and chewing gum obtained by conventional mixing. This confirms that the changes observed in the case of chewing gum containing biodegradable polymers are due to the presence of these biodegradable polymers, and not due to other chewing gum ingredients.

It has been noted that when biodegradable polymers are used, the pH in a pressed chewing gum decreases more slowly compared to a chewing gum obtained by conventional mixing. In other words, with regard to decomposition before use, the method for producing pressed chewing gum plates seems to result in delayed decomposition before use compared to chewing gums made from a biodegradable base by conventional mixing.

The study of the effect of water content on decomposition during visual assessment and measurement of pH values of demineralized water into which chewing gum plates are placed gives the following results:

Table 7: Visual assessment of plates with different water contents (chewing gum composition obtained by conventional mixing). Plate Water content% Score 40 ° C day 2 Score 40 ° C day 6 Score 60 ° C day 2 Score 60 ° C day 6 Score 60 ° C day 8 P 0 T1 T1 T2 T2 T3 Q one T2 T2 T2 T3 T3 R 2 T2 T2 T2 T3 Compression 2 S four T3 T3 T3 T3 Compression 3 T 6 T4 T4 T4 T4 Compression 4 U 8 Destruction 1 Destruction 1 Destruction 1 Destruction 1 Destruction 1 The chewing gum base used is biobase A. “T” indicates an increase in pieces of chewing gum, with T1 indicating a slight increase, and T2, T3 and T4 show successively increasing degrees of increase. The degrees of compression (“Shrink”) range from 1 to 4, with 4 representing the largest observed compression of a piece of chewing gum. Destruction 1 (“Crumble 1”) shows slight destruction.

The results shown in table 7 show that additional water in chewing gum accelerates the destruction process, and the trend increases with increasing water content.

Table 8: pH of demineralized water in which chewing gum tablets are placed (the chewing gum composition is obtained by conventional mixing) with different water contents. Plate Water content% Score 40 ° C day 1 Score 40 ° C day 2 Score 40 ° C day 6 Score 40 ° C day 7 Score 60 ° C day 1 Score 60 ° C day 2 Score 60 ° C day 6 Score 60 ° C day 7 P 0 3.2 3.3 3,5 3.4 3.3 - 3.6 3,5 Q one 3.2 - 3,5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.6 3,5 R 2 3.2 3.3 3,5 3.6 3.4 - - 3,5 S four 3.3 3.3 - 3.4 3.3 3,5 3.6 3,5 T 6 3.4 3.3 3.6 3,5 3,5 3,5 3.6 3.4 U 8 3.4 3.4 3.8 3,5 3,5 3.6 3,7 3.6 The chewing gum base used is biobase A. Each of the presented results is an average of two samples.

Since the pH value is low and does not decrease from day 1 to day 7, but rather rather low already on the first day, we can conclude that the pH value drops sharply over a shorter period of time, such as, for example, several hours . To confirm this observation, two samples were placed in demineralized water and the pH was measured during the first hours. The results are shown in the following table:

Table 9: Change in pH during the first 22 hours of decomposition of chewing gum in demineralized water. Time watch) Type P Records Type T Records 0 5 5 one 5 5 2 5 four 3 5 four four 5 four 5 5 four 6 four 3 22 3 3

It turns out that the pH drops to 3 in one day, and besides this, it is clear that a higher water content, as in the case of type T tablets, causes the pH to drop faster.

The method used in the study of GC / MS involves the collection of gas samples from the space above the liquid (Perkin Elmer Turbo Matrix 40), for this purpose, the remaining chewing gum and the demineralized water in which they are placed, after decomposition are transferred to vessels in which the components are released into the space above the liquid. After the equilibrium period, a gas sample from the space above the liquid is introduced into the GC / MS system (Perkin Elmer Clarus 500) and the areas of the corresponding peaks are estimated on the obtained chromatograms, thereby comparing the decomposition of various chewing gums, as described below.

Figure 1-3 obtained by examining the method of GC / MS space above the liquid samples of chewing gum, which are left in the water for decomposition for a week at 40 ° C.

Figure 1 shows the GC / MS peak areas corresponding to the formation of decomposition products of pressed chewing gum samples. It turns out that there are no degradation products obtained from chewing gum containing only a standard chewing gum base. With respect to biodegradable chewing gum, it was noted that the amount of decomposition products of chewing gum containing biobase B, which is a mixture of type 1 and 2 polyesters, exceeds the corresponding amount for chewing gum containing biobase A, which includes only type 2 polyesters.

Figure 2 shows the same peak areas as in Figure 1, with the addition of the results measured for chewing gum wafers obtained by a method that involves conventional mixing. A noteworthy result is a greater number of decomposition products released from conventional chewing gum plates as compared to pressed chewing gum plates.

Figure 3 shows that an increase in water content leads to an increase in the number of decomposition products.

Example 5

The study of the decomposition of chewing gum in the air.

The following organoleptic evaluations of non-chewed chewing gum samples are performed.

The following tables show organoleptic evaluations:

Table 10: Organoleptic evaluation of pressed and regular chewing gum samples after a week of decomposition in air. Record Type Chewing gum base Coating Organoleptic evaluation 40 ° C, day 7 Organoleptic evaluation of 60 ° C, day 7 Pressed A Standard No Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally lumpy. Soft. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. B Standard Xylitol Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally solid and lumpy. "Old" aftertaste. The surface is less smooth than that of A (60 ° C), but the same consistency at the end. C Standard Film Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally solid and lumpy. The coating sticks to the teeth. Soft. No extraneous flavors. It falls into pieces. D Bio a No Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Slightly lumpy. Consistency of medium hardness. It sticks together quickly. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. E Bio a Xylitol Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Softer than D (60 ° C). Xylitol sticks to the teeth. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. F Bio a Film Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Initially medium hard. Slightly lumpy. Sour foreign taste. Consistency ok. G Bio B No The initial chewing is lumpy. Chewing together. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Initially medium hard. Slightly lumpy. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. H Bio B Xylitol The initial chewing is lumpy. Chewing together. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Initially medium hard. Lumpy. "Old" extraneous taste. Sticks together. Consistency ok. The taste is bad. I Bio B Film The initial chewing is very lumpy. Chewing together. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Initially medium hard. lumpy. Sticky. No extraneous flavors. Sticks together. Consistency ok. The taste is good. Plain J Standard No Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally solid and lumpy. Sticks together. Weak “old” extraneous taste. Consistency ok. K Standard Xylitol Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. The initial chewing is good. Fresh taste. Cooling. Soft. Softer than K (60 ° C). Smooth. Consistency ok. L Bio a No The initial chewing is hard and slightly lumpy. Sticks together. Taste ok. Consistency ok. The initial chewing is very hard, plastic. Softens. "Old" extraneous taste. Consistency ok. The taste is bad and then sour aftertaste. M Bio a Xylitol Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally good. "Old" extraneous taste. Very soft consistency. N Bio B No Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally solid. Significant sour taste. Consistency ok. The taste is unacceptable. O Bio B Xylitol Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally soft and lumpy. Sticks together. Consistency ok. Mild sour taste.

In accordance with the decomposition product data shown in FIG. 2, from the organoleptic evaluation in Table 10 (results at 60 ° C) it follows that ordinary chewing gum is generally worse than pressed chewing gum in terms of parameters such as extraneous smacks and taste. In other words, if the compressed chewing gum is allowed to decompose in air at elevated temperatures, it appears to exhibit a higher degree of stability than conventional chewing gum.

Table 11: Organoleptic evaluation of chewing gum samples after a week of decomposition in air, differences between samples containing water. Type of records Water content% Organoleptic evaluation 40 ° C, day 7 Organoleptic evaluation of 60 ° C, day 7 P 0 The initial chewing is hard and slightly lumpy. Sticks together. Taste ok. Consistency ok. Originally solid and ductile. Weak “old” taste. Consistency ok. Q one The initial chewing is hard and slightly lumpy. Sticks together. Taste ok. Consistency ok. Originally solid and ductile. Weak “old” taste. Consistency ok. Very similar to P (60 ° C). R 2 The initial chewing is hard and slightly lumpy. Sticks together. Taste ok. Consistency ok. Initially medium hard and ductile. Softer than P and Q (60 ° C). Sour foreign taste. The taste is completely unacceptable. S four Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally soft. Sour tastes are less pronounced than in Q (60 ° C). Consistency ok. T 6 Initial chewing ok. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. Originally soft and plastic. "Old" extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. The taste is bad. U 8 The initial chewing is brittle and slightly crispy. Taste ok. No extraneous flavors. Consistency ok. The initial destruction is tough and ductile. Sticks to teeth. “Old” flavor, like T (60 ° C). Consistency becomes ok.

The data in table 11 show that in several cases in the chewing gum containing additional water, there are "old" and sour foreign tastes. This trend intensifies or accelerates when chewing gum is stored at 60 ° C compared to 40 ° C. It is likely that such acidic flavors correspond to a measurable decrease in pH values.

Chewing gum base granules are prepared from chewing gum base. For the purposes of this application, the expression “chewing gum base” generally refers to the water-insoluble portion of chewing gum, which is from 10 to 90 wt.%, Including 15-50 wt.% Of the total composition of chewing gum. Chewing gum base formulations typically include one or more synthetic or natural elastomeric compounds, at least two resinous compounds, both of which are synthetic or natural in accordance with the present invention, fillers, emollients and minor amounts of dissimilar ingredients, such as antioxidants, dyes, etc.

In the context of the present application, chewing gum additives include bulk sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, flavorings, emollients, emulsifiers, colorants, binders, acidifiers, excipients, antioxidants and other components, such as pharmaceutically or biologically active substances, that confer the desired properties of the final chewing gum.

Examples of suitable sweeteners are listed below.

Suitable bulk sweeteners include, for example, both sugars and non-sugars. Bulk sweeteners typically comprise from 5 to 95% by weight of the mass of chewing gum, more often from about 20 to 80% by weight, such as, for example, from 30 to 60% by weight of the mass of chewing gum.

Applicable sugar sweeteners are saccharide-containing components well known in the art of chewing gum production, including, but not limited to, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dextrins, trehalose, D-tagatose, dried invert sugar, fructose, levulose, galactose, dry residue corn syrup and the like, individually or in combination.

Sorbitol may be used as a sugarless sweetener. Other applicable non-sugar sweeteners include, but are not limited to, other sugar alcohols, such as mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol, isomaltol, erythritol, lactitol, and the like, individually or in combination.

High intensity artificial sweeteners can also be used individually or in combination with the sweeteners listed above. Preferred high-intensity sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame salts, alitam, saccharin and its salts, neotam, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycerrhizin, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin, monellin, steroside, and the like, individually or in combinations. To provide a longer sense of sweetness and palatability, it may be desirable to use encapsulation or another method of controlling the release of at least a portion of the artificial sweetener. Techniques such as wet granulation, wax granulation, spray drying, spray cooling, fluidized bed coating, coacervation, yeast cell encapsulation and fiber extrusion can be applied to achieve the desired release characteristics.

The artificial sweetener content used will vary significantly depending, for example, on factors such as sweetener strength, release rate, desired sweetness of the product, content and type of flavoring agent used and cost factors. Thus, the current level of artificial sweetener can vary from about 0.02 to about 8 wt.%. If carriers used for encapsulation are included, the level of encapsulated sweetener used should be proportionally higher. Combinations of sugar and / or sugarless sweeteners may be used in chewing gum formulations made in accordance with the present invention. In addition, the softener can also provide additional sweetening, as in the case of aqueous solutions of sugar or alditol.

If it is desired to obtain low calorie chewing gum, a low caloric bulking agent may be used. Examples of low-calorie excipients include polydextrose, Raftilose, Raftilin, Inulin, fructooligosaccharides (NutraFlora ^® ), oligosaccharide derivatives of palatinoses; guar gum hydrolysates (e.g. Sun Fiber ^® ) or indigestible dextrins (e.g. Fibersol ^® ). However, in addition to this, other low-calorie bulking agents may also be used.

Other chewing gum additives that may be included in the chewing gum mixture of the method of the present invention include surfactants and / or solubilizers, especially if pharmaceutically, cosmetically, or biologically active ingredients are present. As examples of the types of surfactants that should be used as solubilizers in the chewing gum composition of the present invention, reference is made to HPFiedler, Lexikon der Hilfstoff für Pharmacie, Kosmetik und Angrenzende Gebiete, pp. 63-64 (1981) and lists of food emulsifiers, approved by individual countries. Anionic, cationic, amphoteric or nonionic solubilizers can be used. Suitable solubilizers include lecithins, polyoxyethylene stearate, fatty acid esters of polyoxyethylene sorbitan, fatty acid salts, edible mono- and diacetyl tartaric acid diglycerides and edible fatty acids, citric esters of edible fatty acids and mono- and diglycerides, sugar esters polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of transesterified acid of castor oil (E476), sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium lauryl sulfate and sorbitan fatty acid esters and polyoxyethyl hydrogenated castor oil (for example, a product sold under the trade name CREMOPHOR), block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (for example, products sold under the trade names PLURONIC and POLOXAMER), ethers of fatty alcohols and polyoxyethylene, esters of fatty acids and polyoxyethylene sorbitan, fatty acid esters and polyoxyethylene and stearic acid esters.

Particularly suitable solubilizers are polyoxyethylene stearates, such as, for example, polyoxyethylene (8) stearate and polyoxyethylene (40) stearate, fatty acid esters of polyoxyethylene sorbitan sold under the trade name TWEEN, for example TWEEN 20 (monolaurate), TWEEN 80 (monooleate, (monopalmitate), TWEEN 60 (monostearate) or TWEEN 65 (tristearate), esters of mono- and diacetyl tartaric acid and mono- and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, esters of citric acid and mono- and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, sodium stearoyl lactylate, lauri sodium sulfate, polyoxyethylated hydrogenated castor oil, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and fatty alcohol ethers and polyoxyethylene. The solubilizer may be a single compound or a combination of several compounds. The expression "solubilizer" is used in the text of this application to describe both possibilities, i.e. The solubilizer used should be suitable for food and / or medical use.

When the active ingredient is present, chewing gum may also preferably contain a carrier known in the art.

One of the significant advantages of the method of the present invention is that the temperature throughout the production cycle can be kept at a relatively low level, as will be described below. This is an advantageous feature, taking into account the odor preservation of added flavoring components, which are prone to destruction at higher temperatures. Aromatic agents and flavorings that are applicable in chewing gum obtained by the method of the present invention are, for example, natural or synthetic flavoring additives (including natural flavoring additives) in the form of natural plant components, freeze-dried, essential oils, essences, extracts, powders, including acids, and other substances that can affect the taste characteristics. Examples of liquid and powdered flavors include coconut, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, grapefruit, orange, lime, menthol, licorice, caramel flavor, honey flavor, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pineapples, strawberries, raspberries, tropical fruits , cherries, cinnamon, peppermint, wintergreen, curly mint, eucalyptus and mint, fruit essences such as essences of apple, pear, peach, strawberry, apricot, raspberry, cherry, pineapple and plum. Essential oils include peppermint, spearmint, menthol, eucalyptus oil, clove oil, bay oil, anise, thyme, cedar oil, nutmeg and the oils of the above fruits.

In one of the preferred embodiments, the flavoring additive is one or more natural flavoring agents, which are / are freeze-dried, preferably in the form of a powder, slices or pieces, or a combination thereof. The particle size of such additives can be less than 3 mm, such as, for example, less than 2 mm, more preferably less than 1 mm, and these numbers correspond to the largest particle size. The natural flavoring agent may also be present in a form in which the particle size is in the range from 3 μm to 2 mm, such as, for example, from 4 μm to 1 mm. Preferred natural flavoring agents include products derived from fruits, such as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Various synthetic flavors, such as mixed fruit flavors, may also be used in accordance with the present invention. As shown above, the aromatic agent may be used in smaller than usual amounts. Aromatic and / or flavoring agents may be used in amounts of from about 0.01 to about 30% by weight of the final product, depending on the desired intensity of the aromatic and / or flavoring agent used. Preferably, the content of the aromatic / flavor additive is in the range of about 0.2 to 3% by weight of the total weight of the composition.

In accordance with the present invention, encapsulated flavorings or active ingredients may be added to the final mixture before compression.

Various methods of encapsulating flavorings or active ingredients may include spray drying, spray cooling, film coating, coacervation, a double emulsion method (extrusion technology), or granulation, both of which are flavoring agents and active ingredients included in the chewing gum base, and flavorings and active ingredients introduced into the composition of chewing gum during pressing.

Substances that can be used for the above encapsulation methods may include, for example, gelatin, wheat protein, soy protein, sodium caseinate, casein, gum arabic, modified starch, hydrolyzed starches (maltodextrins), alginates, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum Locus beans, chitosan, beeswax, candle wax, carnauba wax, hydrogenated vegetable oils, zein and / or sucrose.

Active ingredients may be added to chewing gum. Preferably, these ingredients should be added after any significant heating or mixing. In other words, the active ingredients should preferably be added immediately before pressing the resulting plate.

The active ingredients may be carefully mixed with the gum base granulate and other desired additives, just before the final pressing of the plate.

Examples of suitable active ingredients are listed below.

In one embodiment of the present invention, chewing gum comprises a pharmaceutically, cosmetically or biologically active substance. Examples of such active substances, an extensive list of which is, for example, in the application WO 00/25598, which is incorporated into this application by reference, include drugs, food additives, antiseptic agents, pH adjusters, anti-smoking agents and care products or oral and dental treatments such as hydrogen peroxide and compounds capable of releasing urea upon chewing. Examples of useful antiseptic actives include salts and derivatives of guanidine and biguanidine (e.g. chlorhexidine diacetate); the following types of substances with limited water solubility should also be included: quaternary ammonium compounds (e.g. ceramine, chloroxylene, crystal violet, chloramine ), aldehydes (e.g. paraformaldehyde), decalin derivatives, polynoxylin, phenols (e.g. thymol, p-chlorophenol, cresol), hexachlorophenes, salicylanilide derivatives, triclosan, halogen us (iodine, iodophores, chloroamine, dichlorocyanuric acid salts), alcohols (3,4 dichlorobenzyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, phenylethanol), cf. also Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 28 ^th edition, str.547-578; metal salts, complexes and compounds with limited water-solubility, such as aluminum salts (e.g., sulfate, aluminum potassium AlK (SO _{4) ^2.} 12H ₂ O), and salts, complexes and compounds of boron, barium, strontium, iron, calcium , zinc (zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc gluconate), copper (copper chloride, copper sulfate), lead, silver, magnesium, sodium, potassium, lithium, molybdenum, vanadium; other compositions intended for the care of the oral cavity and teeth, for example: salts, complexes and compounds containing fluorine (such as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, aminofluorides, tin fluoride), phosphates, carbonates and selenium. Other active compounds can be found in J. Dent.Res. Vol. 28 No.2, pp. 160-171, 1949.

Examples of active substances that are used to control pH in the oral cavity include: acids such as adipic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, or their salts, or salts of citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acids and glutaric acid, as well as acceptable bases, such as carbonates, bicarbonates, phosphates, sulfates or oxides of sodium, potassium, ammonium, magnesium or calcium, in particular magnesium and calcium.

Active ingredients may include, but are not limited to, the compounds or derivatives thereof listed below: acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid, buprenorphine, bromhexine, celoxib, codeine, diphenhydramine, diclofenac, etoricoxib, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, paraminoxibone, lumiraxoxib , piroxicam, pseudoephedrine, rofecoxib, tenoxicam, tramadol, valdecoxib, calcium carbonate, magaldrate, disulfiram, bupropion, nicotine, azithromycin, clarithromycin, clotrimazole, erythromycin, tetracycline, granisetron, o ndansetron, promethazine, tropisetron, brompheniramine, ceterizine, lecoceterisine, chlorocyclisin, chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, phenofenadine, guaifenesin, loratidine, desloratidine, benzylthenderidin, methylphenyltridinone, methyldecinderidine phendeclinfendenocide, phendeclinfendecinfenderodinophendecindechloride, methylenediophendecin, , cetylpyridine, chlorhexidine, sodium ecobet, haloperidol, allopurinol, colchinin, theophylline, propanolol, prednisolone, prednisone, fluorides, urea, actot, glibenclamide, glipizide, metformin, miglitol, repaglidine, apiflith, rosiflize alice, sildenafil, vardenafil, diphenoxylate, simethicone, cimetidine, famotidine, ranitidine, ratinidine, cetrizine, loratadine, aspirin, benzocaine, dextromethorphan, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrilipetinopytin-diphenyldinocin-diphenylacetin-diphenylacetin-diphenylacetamine, phenperidyl-diphenylacetamide, diphenylacetamide, diphenylacetamide mighea, naratriptan, risatriptan, sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, aluminum salts, calcium salts, iron salts, silver salts, zinc salts, amphotericin B, chlorhexidine, miconazole, triamkinolone acetone, melatonin, phenobarbitol, caffeine, benzodiaz in, hydroxyzine, meprobamate, phenothiazine, buclisin, brometazine, cinnarizine, cyclizine, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, buflomedil, amphetamine, caffeine, ephedrine, orlistat, phenylephhedrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, progesteronetrin, sibetoniterin, nitroboneterin, nitroboneterin, nitroboneterin, nitrobenterin, , vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, pilocarpine, aluminum amino acetate, cimetidine, esomeprazole, famotidine, lansoprazole, magnesium oxide, nizatide and / or ratinidine.

The present invention is suitable for increased or accelerated release of active principles selected from the group of food additives, oral and dental compositions, antiseptic agents, pH adjusters, anti-smoking agents, sweeteners, flavorings, flavors or drugs. Some of them will be described below.

The active principles to be used in connection with the present invention may be any substance, the isolation of which from chewing gum is desirable. The active principles, for which a controlled and / or increased release rate is desired, are primarily substances with limited solubility in water, typically below 10 g / 100 ml, including substances that are completely insoluble in water. Examples are medicines, nutritional supplements, oral compositions, anti-smoking agents, highly effective sweeteners, pH adjusting agents, flavoring additives, etc.

Other active ingredients are, for example, paracetamol, benzocaine, cinnarizine, menthol, carvone, caffeine, chlorhexidinediacetate, cyclizine hydrochloride, 1,8-cineole, nandrolone, miconazole, mystatin, aspartame, sodium fluoride, nicotine, saccharin, cetylpyridinium ammonium compounds, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D, glibenclamide or its derivatives, progesterone, acetylsalicylic acid, dimenhydrinate, cyclizine, metronidazole, sodium bicarbonate, active components of the ginkgo tree, active components of propolis, act overt components from ginseng, metadion, oil of peppermint, salicylamide, hydrocortisone or astemizole.

Examples of active nutritional supplements include, for example, salts and compounds with the nutritional effects of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B12, folic acid, niacin, biotin, sparingly soluble glycerophosphates, amino acids, vitamins A, D, E and K, minerals in the form of salts, complexes and compounds containing calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, chromium, selenium, molybdenum, potassium, sodium or cobalt.

In addition, a reference is made to the list of nutrients approved for use by the authorities of various countries, for example, to the US Code of Federal Regulations, section 21, part 182.5013.182 5997 and 182.8013-182.8997.

Examples of active agents, which are compounds for the care or treatment of the oral cavity and teeth, are, for example, bound hydrogen peroxide, and compounds capable of releasing urea upon chewing.

Examples of active antiseptic agents are, for example, salts and derivatives of guanidine and biguanidine (e.g. chlorhexidine diacetate); the following types of substances with limited water solubility should also be included: quaternary ammonium compounds (e.g. ceramine, chloroxylene, crystal violet , chloramine), aldehydes (e.g. paraformaldehyde), decalin derivatives, polynoxylin, phenols (e.g. thymol, p-chlorophenol, cresol), hexachlorophene, salicylanilide derivatives, triclosan, halogen us (iodine, iodophores, chloroamine, dichlorocyanuric acid salts), alcohols (3,4 dichlorobenzyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, phenylethanol), cf., moreover, Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 28 ^th edition, pp. 547-578 ; metal salts, complexes and compounds with limited water-solubility, such as aluminum salts (e.g., sulfate, aluminum potassium AlK (SO _{4) ^2.} 12H ₂ O), and furthermore salts, complexes and compounds of boron, barium, strontium, iron, calcium, zinc (zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc gluconate), copper (copper chloride, copper sulfate), lead, silver, magnesium, sodium, potassium, lithium, molybdenum, vanadium; other compositions intended for the care of the oral cavity and teeth, for example: salts, complexes and compounds containing fluorine (such as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, aminofluorides, tin fluoride), phosphates, carbonates and selenium.

Compare, moreover, in J. Dent.Res. Vol. 28 No.2, pp. 160-171, 1949, which provides a broad list of tested compounds.

Examples of active agents which are oral pH adjusters include, for example, acceptable acids such as adipic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid or their salts, or salts of citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, acetic acid acids, lactic acid, phosphoric acid and glutaric acid, as well as acceptable bases, such as carbonates, bicarbonates, phosphates, sulfates or oxides of sodium, potassium, ammonium, magnesium or calcium, especially magnesium and calcium.

Examples of active anti-smoking agents include, for example, nicotine, tobacco powder or silver salts, for example silver acetate, silver carbonate and silver nitrate.

In other embodiments, fatty acid esters and sucrose can also be used to increase the release of sweeteners, including, for example, the so-called highly effective sweeteners, for example, such as saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, thaumatin, dihydrohalcones, stevioside, glycyrrhizin or its salts and derivatives. To increase the release of the sweetener, sucrose and fatty acid esters preferably contain palmitate in an amount of at least 40%, for example at least 50%.

Another group of examples of active agents are drugs of any type.

Examples of active drug agents include caffeine, salicylic acid, salicylamide and related compounds (acetylsalicylic acid, choline salicylate, magnesium salicylate, sodium salicylate), paracetamol, pentazocine salts (pentazocine hydrochloride and pentazocine lactate codeine buprenine codine chlorophenide cindecine buphene codeine buphene codeine chlorophenide cindechloride cindechloride codine chlorophene chloride) phosphate, morphine and morphine salts (hydrochloride, sulfate, tartrate), methadione hydrochloride, ketobemidone and ketobimedone salts (hydrochloride), beta-blockers (propanolol), calcium antagonists, veraps l hydrochloride, nifedipine, and their suitable derivatives and salts mentioned in Pharm.Int., Nov. 85, pp. 267-271, Barney H. Hunter and Robert L. Talbert, nitroglycerin, erythritol tetranitrate, strychnine and its salts, lidocaine , tetracaine hydrochloride, etorphine hydrochloride, atropine, insulin, enzymes (e.g. papain, trypsin, amyloglucosidase, glucose oxidase, streptokinase, streptodornase, dextranase, alpha amylase), polypeptides (oxytocin, gonadorelin H, DDm , isoxssuprin hydrochloride, ergotamine derivatives, chloroquine (phosphate, sulfate), isosorbide, demoxito in, heparin.

Other active ingredients include beta-lupeol, Letigen ^®, Sildenafil citrate and derivatives thereof.

Dental products include urea, CPP casein phosphopeptide, chlorhexidine, chlorhexidine diacetate, chlorhexidine chloride, chlorhexidine digluconate, hexetidine, strontium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, aluminum fluoride, sodium fluoride, fluoride, fluoride, fluoride, fluoride, fluoride, fluoride, tin fluoride, other fluorine-containing ingredients, aluminum fluorosilicate, potassium fluorosilicate, sodium fluorosilicate, ammonium monofluorophosphate, calcium monofluorophosphate, potassium monofluorophosphate, sodium monofluorophosphate, octadecentyl mmonium fluoride, stearyl trihydroxyethylpropylene diamindihydrofluoride, vitamins, including A, B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, C, D, E, K. Mineral compounds, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, chromium, selenium, molybdenum. Other active ingredients include: Q10 ^® , enzymes. Natural remedies include gingo biloba, ginger and fish oil.

The present invention also relates to the use of anti-migraine drugs, such as serotonin antagonists: sumatriptan, zolomitriptan, naratriptan, risatriptan, eletriptan; anti-nausea drugs such as cyclizine, cinnarizine, dimenhydramine, diphenhydrinate; medicines for upper respiratory allergies such as cetrizin, loratidine; medicines for pain relief such as buprenorphine, tramadol; medicines for oral diseases such as miconazole, amphotericin B, triamkinolone acetone; as well as drugs such as cisapride, domperidone, metoclopramide. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to the release of nicotine and its salts.

The aforementioned active ingredients and / or flavorings may be preliminarily incorporated into a chewing gum base.

If the chewing gum base granules contain pre-applied active ingredients, controlled release of the active ingredients can be achieved by creating at least a double reserve stock of the active ingredients, the first reserve comprising the active ingredients added to the final mixture immediately before compression, and the second reserve active ingredients included in a chewing gum base before mixing the gum base and chewing gum additives .

Typically, the release of flavoring and / or active ingredient can be controlled by adjusting the ratio between pre-made ingredients and chewing gum additives made before compression.

The degree of sifting primarily depends on how the granules (granules) of the chewing gum base “interact” with the chewing gum additives with which they are mixed.

If convenient, the initial compaction of the granules is supplemented by spraying a protective layer on the surface or at least on a part of the surface of the preformed granules. This method and its variants can be called direct application of the protective layer.

However, preferably, the protective layer is created in a less explicit manner. This method and its variants can be called indirect application of the protective layer. This technique implies that the connection of the protective layer is initially sprayed or deposited on the contacting surfaces of the press working members of the press machine.

A suitable technique applicable for indirectly applying a protective layer is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,643,630.

The crushed mixture is fed to a pressing device or to a tabletting unit and pressed into chewing gum plates.

The applied protective layer may include, for example, lubricants, adhesion inhibitors, and glidants. For example, magnesium stearate can be used as a substance to facilitate separation to a powder state.

The protective layer can be created on the final plate, for example, by applying metered amounts of powdered lubricants and substances that promote separation, on the contact surfaces of the pressing working bodies of tabletting machines.

The protective layer can be created using, for example, metal stearates, hydrogenated vegetable oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, polyethylene glycols, polyoxyethylene monostearates, animal fats, silicates, silicon dioxide, talc, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, colloidal silicon dioxide, powdered hydrogenated oil cotton, hydrogenated vegetable oils, hydrogenated soybean oil and mixtures of these substances.

The tablet chewing gum is optionally provided with a suitable coating.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a piece of chewing gum contains from about 5% to about 98% of the total weight of coated chewing gum. In the context of the present invention, a suitable outer coating is any coating that results in increased storage stability of compressed chewing gums as defined above, compared to chewing gum of the same composition without coating. Thus, suitable coating types include hard coatings, film coatings, and soft coatings of any composition, including those currently used as chewing gum coatings, pharmaceutical products, and confectionery products.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a film coating is applied to the pressed chewing gum plates.

One of the preferred types of external coatings in the present invention is a hard coating, the term being used in its usual sense, including sugar coatings and sugarless (or sugarless) coatings, or combinations thereof. The goals of hard coating are to produce a sweet, crispy layer that is highly regarded by consumers and which serves to protect the central parts of chewing gum for various reasons. In a typical method, the central parts of the chewing gums are provided with a protective coating of sugar, sequentially treating the central parts of the chewing gums with suitable equipment for coating with aqueous solutions capable of crystallizing sugar, such as sucrose or dextrose, which, depending on the stage of the coating process, may contain other functional ingredients, e.g. fillers, colorants, etc. In the context of the present invention, the sugar coating may contain additional functional or active compounds, including flavoring compounds, pharmaceutically active compounds and / or degradable polymer compounds.

However, in the manufacture of chewing gum, it may be preferable to replace the cariogenic sugars in the coating with other, preferably crystallizable, sweeteners in order to get rid of the cariogenic effect. In the art, such coatings are generally referred to as sugar free or sugarless coatings. In accordance with the present invention, preferred non-cariogenic coating solids include polyols, for example, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, isomalt and tagatose, which are obtained industrially by hydrogenating D-glucose, maltose, fructose or levulose, xylose, erythrose, lactose, isomaltulose and D-galactose, respectively.

In a typical hard coating method, which is described later, a syrup containing crystallizable sugar and / or polyol is applied to the central parts of chewing gums and the water contained in the syrup is evaporated by blowing warm, dry air. This cycle should be repeated several times, usually 10 to 80 times, to achieve the desired product increase. The term "increase" refers to an increase in the weight of the products at the end of the coating procedure compared to its beginning, and is associated with the final weight of the coated products. In accordance with the present invention, the coating layer in the final product is from about 1 to about 75 wt.% By weight of a piece of chewing gum, such as, for example, from about 10 to about 60 wt.%, Including from about 15 to about 50 wt.%.

In other applicable embodiments of the present invention, the outer coating of a piece of chewing gum is a portion that is subjected to a film coating process and which therefore includes one or more film-forming polymer agents and optionally one or more auxiliary compounds, for example, softeners, pigments and opacifiers. The film coating is a polymer-based coating applied to the central part of the chewing gum of any of the above forms. The thickness of such a coating is usually in the range of 20 to 100 microns. Typically, a film coating is obtained by passing the central parts of the chewing gum through a spray zone with small droplets of the coating substance, the carrier being a suitable aqueous or organic solvent, after which the substance adhering to the central parts of the chewing gum is dried before the next portion of the coating. This cycle is repeated until the coating is completed.

In the context of the present invention, suitable polymeric film coatings include edible cellulose derivatives such as cellulose ethers including methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). Other suitable film coating agents are acrylic polymers and copolymers, for example methyl acrylate amino ester copolymer or mixtures of cellulose derivatives and acrylic polymers. A separate group of polymers for forming a film coating, also called functional polymers, is formed by polymers, which, in addition to film-forming properties, provide the ability to change the release characteristics regarding the active components that make up chewing gum. Such release affecting polymers include methyl acrylate ester copolymers, ethyl cellulose (EC) and intestinal polymers designed to resist the acidic environment of the stomach, but are readily soluble in the duodenum. The last of these polymer groups includes: cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP), shellac, methacrylic acid copolymers, cellulose acetate trimellate (CAT) and HPMC. It should be borne in mind that according to the present invention, the outer film coating may include any combination of the above polymers forming the film coating.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the chewing gum film coating layer comprises an emollient having the ability to alter the physical properties of the polymer to make it more suitable to perform its functions as a film-forming material. The main effect of softeners is to make the polymer softer and more plastic, because softener molecules are located between individual polymer chains, thus destroying polymer-polymer interactions. Most softeners used in film coatings are either amorphous or have a very low degree of crystallinity.

In the context of the present invention, suitable emollients include polyols such as glycerol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, for example with a molecular weight in the range of 200-6000, organic esters such as phthalates, dibutyl sebacinates, citrates and triacetin, oils / glycerides, including castor oil , acetylated monoglycerides and fractionated coconut oil.

The choice of film-forming polymer (s) and softener (s) for the outer coating of the chewing gum pieces of the present invention is carried out in order to achieve the best possible protective properties of the coating, from the point of view of dissolution and diffusion of moisture and gases through the film.

The film coating of the chewing gum pieces may also contain one or more dyes or opacifiers. In addition to providing the desired color tone, these products can contribute to the protection of the pressed chewing gum from various reactions to its use, in particular due to the formation of protection against moisture and gases. Suitable colorants / opacifiers include organic colorants and varnishes based thereon, inorganic colorants, for example titanium oxide, as well as natural colorants, such as β-carotene.

In addition, film coatings may contain one or more adjuvants, such as flavorings and waxes or saccharides, such as polydextrose, dextrins, including maltodextrin, lactose, modified starch, protein, such as gelatin or zein, a vegetable resin, and any combination of these .

There is also an aspect of the present invention, according to which the outer coating of a piece of chewing gum may contain one or more pharmaceutically or cosmetically active components, including those previously mentioned in this application.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned piece of hard or film coated chewing gum is a piece in which the outer coating comprises at least one additional component selected from a binder, a moisture absorbing component, a film forming agent a dispersing agent, a non-sticking component, a bulking agent, a flavoring agent, a coloring agent, a pharmaceutically or cosmetically active component and a lipid component, a wax, sugar and acid. If it is desired to delay the action of any of these additional components of the outer coating before chewing gum, the components of the present invention can be encapsulated using any conventional encapsulation means, for example, protein, including gelatin and soy protein, cellulose derivatives, including any a derivative of the above, starch derivatives, edible synthetic polymers and lipid substances, the latter optionally in the form of liposomal encapsules tion.

In other embodiments of the present invention, a piece of chewing gum is provided with an outer coating, in the form generally described in the art as a soft coating. Such soft coatings are applied using conventional methods, and they can mainly consist of a mixture of sugar or any of the above non-cariogenic sugar-free sweeteners and starch hydrolyzate.

Once again, it should be noted that the coating described above is optional or its application may be delayed until it is included in the final part of the production process, due to the fact that the applied protective layer also acts as a complete or at least partial barrier to the transfer of moisture from the environment to the plate .

Compared to conventional gum chewing gum, compressing a gum base granulate with chewing gum additives is a relatively mild way to produce the final chewing gum, at least in terms of temperature. However, if you do not thoroughly grind the granulate together with the desired additives, this leads, in comparison with conventional chewing gum, to the risk of lumping and destruction, especially at the time of initial chewing.

In accordance with the present invention, a developed chewing gum characterized by sticky granules can withstand degradation caused by initial chewing to such an extent that the chewing gum remains not lumpy until the granules are completely mixed during chewing of the chewing gum.

Claims (30)

1. Gum base granules containing at least one biodegradable polymer, wherein the gum base contains water in an amount of 0% -1.5% with respect to the weight of the gum base. 2. The chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base mainly contains only at least one biodegradable polymer. 3. Chewing gum base granules according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of said biodegradable polymers comprises a polyester obtained by reacting at least one alcohol or its derivative and at least one acid or its derivative. 4. The chewing gum base granules of claim 3, wherein at least one of said biodegradable polymers comprises said polyester obtained by polymerization of at least one cyclic ether. 5. The chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein the chewing gum base contains water in an amount of less than 1.0%, preferably substantially 0%, relative to the weight of the chewing gum base. 6. The granules of the chewing gum base according to claim 1, in which the granule size of the chewing gum base is in the range from 0.01 × 0.01 mm to 2 × 2 mm, preferably in the range from 0.1 × 0.1 mm to 1 , 0 × 1.0 mm. 7. Chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, containing at least one biodegradable polymer in an amount of from about 1% to about 100% with respect to the weight of the chewing gum base. 8. Chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein said granular chewing gum base contains at least one biodegradable elastomer of high molecular weight in an amount of less than about 75% with respect to the weight of said chewing gum base. 9. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein the number average molecular weight (Mn) of the at least one biodegradable high molecular weight elastomer is in the range of about 10,000 to 800,000 g / mol. 10. Chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein said granular chewing gum base contains at least one low molecular weight elastomer solvent in an amount of less than about 90% with respect to the weight of said chewing gum base. 11. The chewing gum base granules of claim 10, wherein the number average molecular weight (Mn) of said at least one low molecular weight elastomer solvent is in the range of about 1000 to 50,000 g / mol. 12. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein the chewing gum base granules contain a sweetener in an amount of less than 50 wt.%. 13. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein the chewing gum base is substantially free of lubricants, adhesion inhibitors, and glidants. 14. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein the natural resins used in the chewing gum formulation provide an improved and viscous chewing gum base texture. 15. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base is substantially free of wax. 16. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base is substantially free of fat. 17. The chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base contains a filler in an amount of less than about 50% with respect to the weight of the chewing gum base. 18. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base granules contain the active ingredients, and at least a portion of said active ingredients are included in the chewing gum granules, or at least a portion of the granules forming chewing gum before pressing. 19. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base contains a synthetic resin in an amount of from about 15% to about 99%, preferably from about 15% to about 80%, relative to the weight of the chewing gum base. 20. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base contains emulsifiers and / or fats in an amount of about 10% to about 40% based on the weight of the chewing gum base. 21. The chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base contains wax in an amount of from about 2% to about 30% based on the weight of the chewing gum base. 22. The chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the flavoring agents is included in the chewing gum base or at least a portion of the chewing gum base before compression. 23. The chewing gum base granules according to claim 1, wherein said at least one biodegradable polymer comprises at least one polyester obtained by polymerizing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of cyclic esters, alcohols or their derivatives and carboxylic acids or their derivatives. 24. The chewing gum base granules of claim 1, wherein said chewing gum base granules comprise at least one biodegradable polymer. 25. A compressed chewing gum comprising a chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 24, the water content of which is 0% -1.5% with respect to the mass of the chewing gum base. 26. Compressed chewing gum according to claim 25, wherein at least a portion of said polymers comprising the chewing gum are biodegradable. 27. A compressed chewing gum according to claim 25 or 26, wherein said chewing gum granules are mixed and pressed together with chewing gum ingredients, preferably powdered chewing gum ingredients such as sweeteners, flavorings, fillers and emulsifiers. 28. A compressed chewing gum according to claim 25, wherein the water content is generally 0%. 29. A compressed chewing gum according to claim 25, wherein said biodegradable chewing gum base comprises at least two biodegradable polymers. 30. A compressed chewing gum according to claim 25, wherein said granules of a biodegradable chewing gum base are used in conjunction with granules of a conventional biodegradable chewing gum base.

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