WO1992008369A1

WO1992008369A1 - Methods of producing chewing gum using molten sorbitol and gum produced thereby

Info

Publication number: WO1992008369A1
Application number: PCT/US1991/008491
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mansukh M. Patel; Jeffrey S. Hook
Original assignee: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
Priority date: 1991-02-01
Filing date: 1991-11-13
Publication date: 1992-05-29
Also published as: AU1254592A

Abstract

Molten sorbitol is disclosed as a humectant for chewing gum. The chewing gum is prepared by providing a chewing gum base at a level of about 5 % to about 80 % of the chewing gum composition; providing a bulking agent at a level of about 10 % to about 80 % of the chewing gum composition; providing a flavoring agent at a level of about 0.05 % to about 5 % of the chewing gum composition; providing molten sorbitol at a level of about 0.25 % to about 5 % of the chewing gum composition; and mixing the gum base, bulking agent, flavoring agent and molten sorbitol into the chewing gum composition. Chewing gum made with molten sorbitol is also disclosed.

Description

METHODS OF PRODUCING CHEWING GUM USING MOLTEN SORBITOL AND GUM PRODUCED THEREBY

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods of making chewing gum, and more particularly to such methods using molten sorbitol, and the resulting chewing gum.

Sorbitol is commonly used as a humectant in a variety of products. The sorbitol may be in crystalline (powdered) form, and a 70% solution of sorbitol in water is also a common humectant.

Humectants in chewing gum have the effect of holding onto the moisture that is in the gum. This keeps the gum softer and more flexible when it is stored under dry storage conditions. Generally, since chewing gum packages are not hermetically sealed, air transfers in and out of the gum package. If the air is dry, the gum will dry out and become brittle and hard. A humectant like sorbitol is added to chewing gum to reduce the loss of moisture and keep the gum from becoming brittle during storage. Glycerin is also a humectant and reduces the loss of moisture during storage.

U.S. Patent No. 3,857,965 discloses the use of molten sorbitol in sugarfree chewing gum. However, the sorbitol is used in high quantities as a bulking agent. U.S. Patent No. 4,263,327 discloses the use of an evaporated sorbitol syrup in sugarless chewing gum. U.S. Patent No. 4,292,337 discloses dissolved sorbitol and xylitol in a sugarfree confectionery. In U.S. Patents Nos . 4,166,134, 4,824,680, and 4,614,654, sorbitol is used as.a humectant in sugar gums, but added in unique methods.

At least one commercial sugar gum currently uses crystalline sorbitol as a humectant. However, additional improvements in long term storage flexibility and moisture retention are desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has surprisingly been found that melting sorbitol prior to mixing it into gum' produces a gum that has improved softness and flexibility compared to the same gum with the sorbitol added in powdered form.

The present invention thus includes a method of producing a chewing gum composition comprising the steps of: providing a chewing gum base at a level of about 5% to about 80% of the chewing gum composition; providing a bulking agent at a level of about 10% to about 80% of the chewing gum composition; providing a flavoring agent at a level of about 0.05% to about 5% of the chewing gum composition; providing molten sorbitol at a level of about 0.25% to about 5% of the chewing gum composition; and mixing the gum base, bulking agent, flavoring agent and molten sorbitol into the chewing gum composition. The invention also includes gums made using molten sorbitol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a comparison graph of weight- loss data for samples of gum with and without sorbitol, one of the samples using molten sorbitol.

Figure 2 shows a comparison graph of Taber stiffness values for samples of gum with and without sorbitol, one of the samples using molten sorbitol. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Most chewing gum formulations may benefit from the present invention. However, sugar formulations are preferred. As used herein, the term chewing gum includes chewing gum, bubble gum and the like. All percents are given in weight percent unless specified otherwise.

It was anticipated that when sorbitol powder is melted and used as a humectant, its effect would be similar to that produced using powdered sorbitol. A weight loss study comparing gum with and without powdered sorbitol showed less moisture loss when the gum contained sorbitol. Likewise, when the sorbitol was melted and added to gum, the same improvement in reduced moisture loss resulted. However, it was very surprising to discover that gum made with molten sorbitol better retains its softness and flexibility compared to gum made with powdered sorbitol, even though the moisture loss is the same. It appears that molten sorbitol has a softening effect other than its humectant effect on chewing gum.

A possible explanation for this is that molten sorbitol is modified from a crystalline state to a more amorphous state that may allow it to act as a gum plasticizer or softening agent.

In general, a chewing gum composition typically comprises a water-soluble bulk portion, a water-insoluble chewable gum base portion and typically water-insoluble flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion dissipates with a portion of the flavoring agent over a period of time during chewing. The gum base portion is retained in the mouth throughout the chew.

The insoluble gum base generally comprises elastomers, resins, fats and oils, waxes, softeners and inorganic fillers. Elastomers may include polyisobutylene, isobutylene-isoprene copolymer and styrene butadiene rubber, as well as natural _. latexes such as chicle. Resins include polyvinyl acetate and terpene resins. Fats and oils may also be included in the gum base, including tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and cocoa butter. Commonly employed waxes include paraffin, microcrystalline and natural waxes such as beeswax and carnauba. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insoluble gum base constitutes between about 5 to about 80 percent by weight of the gum. More prefer-ably the insoluble gum base comprises between 10 and 60 percent by weight of the gum and most preferably about 20 to about 35 percent by weight of the gum.

The gum base typically also includes a filler component. The filler component may be calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, talc, dicalcium phosphate or the like. The filler may constitute between about 5 and about 60 percent by weight of the gum base. Preferably, the filler comprises about 5 to about 50 percent by weight of the gum base.

Gum bases typically also contain softeners, including glycerol monostearate and glycerol triacetate. Further, gum bases may also contain optional ingredients such as antioxidants, colors, and emulsifiers. The present invention contemplates employing any commercially acceptable gum base.

The water-soluble portion of the chewing gum may further comprise sweeteners, softeners, flavoring agents and combinations thereof. The sweeteners often fulfill the roll of bulking agents in the gum. In sugar gums, typical bulking agents include sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, fructose, levulose, galactose, corn syrup solids and the like, alone or in combination. The present invention may have use in sugarless gums. In sugarless gums, sugarless sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol and the like, alone or in any combination, may be used. The bulking agent generally will comprise from about 5 percent to about 80 percent of the gum composition, and more preferably about 20 percent to about 70 percent of the gum composition.

Softeners are added to the chewing gum in order to optimize the chewability and mouth feel of the gum. Softeners, also known in the art as plasticizers or plaεticizing agents, generally constitute between about 0.5 to about 15.0 percent by weight of the chewing gum. Softeners contemplated by the present invention include glycerin, lecithin, and combinations thereof. Further, the gum may contain a binding agent such as hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, corn syrup and combinations thereof.

A flavoring agent may be present in the chewing gum in an amount within the range of from about 0.1 to about 10.0 weight percent and preferably from about 0.5 to about 3.0 weight percent of the gum. The flavoring agents may comprise essential oils, synthetic flavors, or mixture thereof including, but not limited to, oils derived from plants and fruits such as citrus oils, fruit essences, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, clove oil, oil of wintergreen, anise, and the like. Artificial flavoring components are also contemplated for use in gums of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that natural and artificial flavoring agents may be combined in any sensorially acceptable blend. All such flavors and flavor blends are contemplated by the present invention.

Optional ingredients such as colors, emulsifiers and pharmaceutical agents may be added to the chewing gum. In general, chewing gum is manufactured by sequentially adding the various chewing gum ingredients to a commercially available mixer known in the art. After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the gum mass is discharged from the mixer and shaped into the desired form, such as by rolling into sheets and cutting into sticks, extruding into chucks or casting into pellets.

Generally, the ingredients are mixed by first melting the gum base and adding it to the running mixer. The base may also be melted in the mixer itself. Color or emulsifiers may also be added at this time. The molten sorbitol of the present invention is preferably added with the color and e ulsifier while the gum base is still hot. (Optionally, the molten sorbitol may be premixed with the heated gum base at a temperature of about 200°F - 220°F.) Less preferably, the molten sorbitol may be added at any time during the mixing process. The bulking agent may be added to the mixer in portions. A flavoring agent is typically added with the final portion of the bulking agent.

The entire mixing procedure typically takes from five to fifteen minutes, but longer mixing times may sometimes be required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations of the above described procedure may be followed. Examples 1-3

The following gum formulas were made and sheeted into sticks.

. . . Comparative Example 1 had no sorbitol added. Comparative Example 2 had powdered sorbitol added. Example 3 had molten sorbitol added. The molten sorbitol was made by melting the powdered sorbitol in a beaker on a hot plate and holding it 5°C above its melting point at about 95°C until it was ready for use.

After sheeting into sticks, samples were stored at 75°F and 35% RH for a weight loss study and a

Taber stiffness study. For the weight loss study, individual bare sticks were weighed at 0 days, and reweighed at 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14 days. For the Taber stiffness test, 3 sticks were tested at 0, 1, 4, 10,

14, and 21 days. The Taber stiffness value is a measure of the chewing gum's resistance to bending.

The longer the Taber stiffness value remains low, the longer the chewing gum remains flexible. Low Taber values after storage of the gum are thus an indication of improved shelf life. The Taber stiffness values were measured by the Taber V-5 stiffness tester method,

Model 150B available from Taber Instrument Corp., North

Tonawanda, New York. Results of the Taber stiffness test are reproduced below. Results of the weight test and Taber test are shown graphically in Figures 1 and

2, respectively.

Table 1

Taber Stiffness

Bare Sticks at 35% R.H. (n=3)

As shown in Figure 1, the 2 samples with sorbitol yielded much different weight loss results than the sample without sorbitol, but not different from one another in terms of moisture loss. As shown in Figure 2, however, the sample with molten sorbitol shows a better shelf life than the sample with powdered sorbitol, as demonstrated by the above Taber stiffness data.

The molten sorbitol as used in the present invention may be added to- the gum at a level of about 0.25% to about 5%. Additionally, anti-crystallization agents may be added to the molten sorbitol prior to mixing the molten sorbitol into the gum. Such anti- crystallization agents are well known in the art. They can either be dispersed or dissolved in the molten sorbitol.

The use of molten sorbitol dramatically improves the texture stability of sugar gums as measured in accelerated aging stability studies. In non-aged gum, no significant differences were noticed in sensory attributes. Also, no significant differences were noticed in the weight loss data for sugar gum containing molten sorbitol compared to sugar gum containing crystalline sorbitol.

It should be appreciated that the compositions and methods of the present invention are capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments, only a few of which have been illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

WE CLAIM :

1. A method of producing a chewing gum composition comprising the steps of: a) providing a chewing gum base at a level of about 5% to about 80% of the chewing gum composition; b) providing a bulking agent at a level of about 10% to about 80% of the chewing gum composition; c) providing a flavoring agent at a level of about 0.05% to about 5% of the chewing gum composition; d) providing molten sorbitol at a level of about 0.25% to about 5% of the chewing gum composition; and e) mixing said gum base, bulking agent, flavoring^' agent and molten sorbitol into said chewing gum composition.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the bulking agent comprises one or more sugar sweeteners.

3. The method of Claim 1 wherein an anti- crystallization agent is mixed with the molten sorbitol before the molten sorbitol is mixed with the other gum composition ingredients.

4. The method of Claim 1 wherein the gum

■ base is melted and mixed with the molten sorbitol prior to mixing the gum base with the bulking and flavoring agents .

5. The method of Claim 1 further comprising the steps of providing a softening agent in the range of about 0.5% to about 15% of the chewing gum composition and mixing said softening agent into the gum composition.

6. The method of Claim 5 wherein the softening agent is selected from the group consisting of glycerine, lecithin, aqueous sorbitol liquid and mixtures thereof.

7. The method of Claim 1 further comprising the step of mixing a binding agent into the gum composition, the binding agent being selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated starch hydrolyzates, corn syrup and combinations thereof.

8. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim 1.

9. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim '2.

10. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim 3.

11. A ^chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim 4.

12. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim 5.

13. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim 6.

14. A chewing gum composition made in accordance with the method of Claim 7.