United States Patent [191
`Serpelloni
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`4,744,991
`May 17, 1988
`
`[54] SPECKLED SUGARLESS CHEWING-GUM
`AND PROCESS FOR ITS MANUFACTURE
`[75] Inventor: Michél Serpelloni, Béthune, France
`[73] Assignee: Roquette Freres, Lestrem, France
`[21] Appl. No.: 811,762
`[22] Filed:
`Dec. 20, 1985
`[30]
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`Dec. 21, 1984 [FR] France .............................. .. 84 19740
`
`[56]
`
`[51] Int. Cl.‘ ............................................. .. A23G 3/30
`[52] US. Cl. ...................................... .. 426/5; 426/548;
`426/250; 426/804
`[58] Field of Search ...................................... .. 426/3-6,
`426/96, 548, 98, 250, 540, 804
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2,190,180 2/ 1940
`3,205,075 9/1965
`3,930,026 12/1975
`3,962,463 6/ 1976
`4,100,301 7/1978
`4,208,431 6/1980
`4,217,368 8/ 1980
`4,238,475 12/1980
`4,248,895 2/ 1981
`4,353,927 10/1982
`
`4,388,328 6/1983 Glass ..................................... .. 426/3
`4,514,423 4/1985
`.
`4,556,565 12/1985
`4,588,592 5/1986
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`1228510 8/1960 France .
`2197568 3/1974 France .
`2444080 7/1980 France .
`2445839 8/ 1980 France .
`2486364 l/ 1982 France .
`2502495 10/1982 France .
`84/03201 8/ 1984 PCT Int’l Appl. .
`2053651 2/ 1980 United Kingdom .
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`“Food Technology”, vol. 38, No. 3, Mar. 1984, p. 121.
`
`Primary Examiner-Jeanette Hunter
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fleit, Jacobson, Cohn & Price
`
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`Sugarless speckled chewing-gum having, distributed in
`the mass, a plurality of colored sweetening particles,
`possibly ?avored and possibly sweetened with arti?cial
`sweeteners, the coloring agent being con?ned in the
`sweetener particles.
`
`13 Claims, No Drawings
`
`Bass and Spangenberg
`Exhibit 1006
`
`Page 1 of 5
`
`

`
`1
`
`4,744,991
`
`SPECKLED SUGARLESS CHEWING-GUM AND
`PROCESS FOR ITS MANUFACTURE
`
`2
`rapidly and integrally into the mass of the chewing
`gum,
`.
`and even by replacing this type of dye by a water
`insoluble dye, or lacquer, the diffusion phenomenon,
`although slowed down, still exists, particularly with red
`dyes to the point of becoming detectable after about 10
`days and to the point that after about 30 days the dye
`initially concentrated in the mass of each particle is
`found to be completely diluted throughout the mass of
`the chewing-gum, so that it is no longer possible to
`rediscover visually the position of the initial colored
`particles, only more or less blurred and inde?nite spots
`subsisting.
`
`GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
`To overcome this drawback, it has already been en
`visaged to resort to the encapsulation of the sweetener
`particles dyed by means of water-insoluble coating
`products, particularly of the food grade shellac type.
`The thus coated products give satisfaction from the
`point of view of con?ning the coloring but have the
`drawback of con?ning also entirely and with hardly any
`possibility of release, the ?avors and/ or arti?cial sweet
`eners which can enter into the constitution of the col
`ored particle and whose full effect is then lost.
`In addition, this is a solution of high cost price—since
`it necessitates a separate processing line for the colored
`sweetener particles—-, hardly compatible with the man
`ufacture of a competitive speckled chewing-gum.
`Now, applicant succeeded after extensive research
`work in preparing a sugarless speckled chewing-gum no
`longer presenting the drawbacks of the prior art and
`comprising, distributed in the mass, a plurality of col
`ored sweetening particles, possibly ?avored and possi
`bly sweetened with arti?cial sweeteners, this chewing
`gum being characterized by the fact that it comprises at
`least one of the con?ning agents selected from the
`group consisting of the food grade fatty acids such as
`stearates, particularly magnesium stearate, incorporated
`in the particles in a proportion of about 0.5 to 4% by
`weight with respect to the weight of the particles, of the
`food grade conventional emulsi?ers such as the fatty
`acid esters, particularly glycerol ester incorporated in
`the particles in a proportion of about 0.5 to 5% by
`weight with respect to the weight of the particles, and
`of the hydrogenated starch hydrolysates whose glucidic
`spectrum is as follows, percentages being given with
`respect to the dry matter:
`maltitol: 25 to 95%, preferably 25 to 85%,
`sorbitol: 0.1 to 19%, preferably 1 to 17%,
`the complement to 100 being constituted by polyols of
`degree of polymerization (DP); 3, these hydrolysates
`being incorporated in the liquid phase of the chewing
`gum in a proportion of about 5 to 30% by weight with
`respect to the total mass of the chewing-gum.
`Concerning ?rst the above-mentioned food grade
`fatty acids and the above-mentioned food grade con
`ventional emulsi?ers, they are incorporated as indicated
`hereabove into the colored sweetened particles.
`Surprisingly, the effectiveness of these products
`which are hydrophobing agents is sensible in the formu
`lations utilized at very low concentrations. The organo
`leptic properties of the thus obtained chewing-gums are
`not affected.
`A proportion of about 1% of magnesium stearate or
`of food grade emulsi?er in the colored sweetener parti
`cles enables the coloring to be con?ned for a period
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The invention relates to a speckled sugarless chew
`ing-gum.
`This chewing-gum arouses the interest of the con
`sumer by reason of its original visual appearance.
`The invention relates also to a process suitable for its
`manufacture.
`Chewing-gums of the type concerned comprise an
`aqueous liquid phase.
`They comprise:
`about 10 to 40% of a gum base constituted, for exam
`ple, from a mixture of natural gum, synthetic resins and
`waxes,
`about 9 to 80% of a liquid sweetener constituted by a
`syrup based on hydrogenated sugars, for example by
`sorbitol syrup,
`about 0 to 75% and, more particularly, about 2 to
`75% of a solid sweetener constituted, for example, by a
`crystalline polyol among which are particularly sorbitol
`or mannitol,
`various ?avouring agents, various preserving agents
`and various agents modifying the texture of the gum
`base, like glycerin or lecithin.
`The speckled appearance is generally obtained by
`means of solid sweetening particles, colored and possi
`bly ?avored.
`The proportion by weight represented by the colored
`particles with respect to the total weight of the chew
`ing-gum is of the order of 0.5 to 3%, particularly 1%.
`In practice, the colored particles are constituted es
`sentially of sorbitol colored in the mass. They can be
`?avored by means of conventional ?avorings; it will be
`possible to use in this respect synthetic or any ?avorings
`obtained from certain plants; there may be mentioned
`oils of mint, cinnamon, etc.
`The particles concerned can, moreover, be sweet
`ened, particularly by means of arti?cial sweeteners such
`as saccharin, aspartam and the like.
`Their granulometry is generally from 500 to 1500 pm
`45
`and more particularly from 800 to 1200 pm.
`The abovesaid chewing-gums are generally prepared
`in the following manner:
`the gum base is softened in a kneading trough by
`heating and by kneading,
`into the soft gum base are introduced successively,
`and while maintaining the abovesaid heating and knead
`ing, sweetener in liquid phase, sweetener in solid phase
`and then, or as the case may be at the same time, the
`solid sweetening particles, colored and possibly ?a
`vored,
`the composition thus prepared is subjected, for exam
`ple, to extrusion, through a die, then to rolling and
`cutting-up to give it the marketed shape, for example
`rectangular.
`At the moment of its manufacture, the chewing-gum
`so-obtained has at its surface speckles constituted by
`colored and possibly ?avored sweetener particles, these
`particles being more or less embedded in the gum base
`and more or less crushed during the ?nal rolling step.
`Now,
`when the sweetener particles have been colored in
`the mass by a water-soluble dye, this dye diffuses very
`
`65
`
`55
`
`Page 2 of 5
`
`

`
`4,744,991
`
`5
`
`3
`which can reach about 3 months; beyond 4% the taste
`of the hydrophobic product can become troublesome.
`Concerning then the hydrogenated starch hydroly
`sates, they are incorporated into the liquid phase of the
`chewing-gum.
`These products enable the prolongation in crucial
`proportions of the con?nement of the coloring agent in
`the colored sweetener particle as soon as this sweetener
`is essentially constituted by sorbitol and this con?ne
`ment can be considered as permanent taking into ac
`count the extreme times and conditions of storage en
`countered in industry and commerce of chewing-gum.
`This result is all the more surprising and unexpected
`as the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate employed con
`tains, just like the liquid sorbitol syrup which conven
`tionally constitutes the liquid phase of chewing-gum, a
`considerable amount of water.
`Preferably, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate having
`the following composition is used:
`maltitol from 35 to 75%
`sorbitol from 5 to 17%
`maltotriitol from 10 to 25%,
`the complement to 100 being constituted by polyols of
`degree of polymerization or DPé4.
`A hydrogenated starch hydrolysate giving a particu
`larly advantageous result is that marketed under the
`name LYCASIN ®80/55, the dry matter content of
`which is 70% and which has the following composition:
`hydrogenated disaccharides from 50 to 55%
`sorbitol from 6 to 8%
`hydrogenated tri- to hexa-saccharides from 20 to
`25%
`hydrogenated saccharides of DP§6 from 15 to 20%.
`According to another advantageous embodiment, the
`chewing-gum according to the invention comprises:
`as constituent, a proportion with respect to the total
`weight of the chewing-gum of about 5 to about 30% by
`weight of the above-said hydrogenated starch hydroly
`sate,
`a plurality of colored sweetener particles, possibly
`?avored and comprising optionally an arti?cial sweet
`ener, these particles being distributed within its constit
`uent mass and comprising from about 0.5 to about 4% of
`a hydrophobant agent of the type of food grade fatty
`acid salts such as stearates, particularly magnesium
`45
`stearate, or of from 0.5 to 5% of the conventional food
`grade emulsi?er type such as the fatty acid esters, par
`ticulaly the glycerol ester.
`The process according to the invention for the manu
`facture of chewing-gum according to the invention is
`characterized by the fact that:
`at the moment of manufacture of the colored and
`possibly flavored sweetener particles, these particles are
`made to include a proportion of about 0.5 to about 4%
`of a hydrophobant agent of the food grade fatty acid
`55
`salt type such as stearates, particularly of magnesium, or
`of a proportion of about 0.5 to 5% of the conventional
`food grade emulsi?er type such as fatty acids esters,
`particularly the glycerol ester, and/or by the fact that
`the liquid phase is made to comprise, by addition at
`the moment of kneading inside the kneading trough, a
`proportion from about 5 to 30% with respect to weight
`of the chewing-gum of ahydrogenated starch hydroly
`sate such as de?ned above.
`The invention will be still better understood by means
`of the examples which follow and which either serve to
`-provide elements of comparison, or relate to advanta
`geous embodiments of the invention.
`
`65
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`40
`
`4
`DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR
`EMBODIMENTS
`Examples
`By following the manufacturing process indicated at
`the beginning of the description, various chewing-gums
`including colored particles were compared.
`The exact compositions of the ?nished chewing-gums
`as well as the measurements of the diffusion of the dye
`entering into the constitution of the colored particles,
`after storage in the ambient medium, are collected in
`Table I.
`In this table:
`the chewing-gum denoted by “Ch 1” corresponds to
`the reference chewing-gum in which the sweetener of
`the solid phase is constituted by a mixture of powdered
`sorbitol namely that marketed under the trademark
`NEOSORB ®P 60 by applicant’s Assignee, of saccha
`rin and of mannitol in powdered condition; the sweet
`ener of the liquid phase is constituted by a sorbitol syrup
`with 70% of dry matter, namely that marketed under
`the trademark of NEOSORB ®70/70 M by applicant’s
`Assignee; the colored particles are constituted by sorbi
`tol granules of a granulometry comprised between 800
`and 1200 um and of an average granulometry of 1000
`um; they are previously colored in the mass with an
`insoluble lacquer for example of the type ALLURO
`RED COLOR INDEX CI 16035 or of the type FAST
`GREEN FCF COLOR INDEX 42053; this type of
`chewing-gum comprises in addition various additives or
`texture agents like glycerin, and like mint ?avoring
`LAUTAROME 29970 (marketed by the company
`LAUTIER Grasse, France);
`the chewing-gum denoted by “Ch 2” corresponds to
`a chewing-gum identical with Ch 1 with the difference
`that the colored particles are composed of colored sor
`bitol grains in which there has been introduced
`homogenously 1% by weight of magnesium stearate,
`the percentage by weight of magnesium stearate being
`given with respect to the weight of colored and fla
`vored sorbitol;
`the chewing-gum denoted by “Ch 3” corresponds to
`a chewing-gum identical with Ch 1 with the difference
`that the colored and flavored particles are composed of
`sorbitol grains colored in the mass, previously coated in
`a dragee-forming apparatus with an insoluble lacquer of
`the shellac type marketed by the CARL ROTH KG
`CHEMISCHE FABRIKEN Company, the proportion
`of shellac being 2% by weight with respect to the
`weight of the colored and flavored sorbitols;
`the chewing-gum denoted by “Ch 4” corresponds to
`a chewing-gum identical with Ch 1 with the difference
`that the liquid phase is constituted for 50% of a ?rst
`maltitol syrup having a dry matter content of 70% de
`noted by “maltitol syrup no. I’’ and comprising with
`respect to the dry matter 90.5% maltitol, 2.3% sorbitol,
`6.2% of maltotritol and 0.4% of products of degree of
`polymerization Z4 and for 50% of a hydrogenated
`glucose syrup of the trademark LYCASIN ®80/ 55;
`the chewing-gum denoted by “Ch 5” corresponds to
`a chewing-gum identical with Ch 1 with the difference
`that the liquid phase constituted solely by hydrogenated
`syrup LYCASIN ®80/ 55,
`the chewing-gum denoted by “Ch 6” corresponds to
`a chewing-gum identical with Ch 1 with the difference
`that the liquid phase constituted for 42.5% of a second
`maltitol syrup with a dry matter content of 70% de
`
`Page 3 of 5
`
`

`
`4,744,991
`5
`6
`2. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`noted by “maltitol syrup no. 2” and comprising with
`respect to the dry matter 73.1% by weight of maltitol,
`claim 1, wherein the sweetening particles comprising a
`3.2% of sorbitol, 14.8% of maltotriitol and 8% of prod
`coloring or dye are ?avored.
`3. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`ucts of DP Z4 and for 57.5% of NEOSORB ®70/ 70M
`sorbitol syrup.
`5 claim 1, wherein the sweetening particles comprising a
`
`COMPSlTlON
`
`Gurn base
`Solid sweetener tin powder form t:
`NEOSORB ® P 60 sorbitol
`Mannitol
`Colored particles constituted
`by dyed and ?avored sorbitol
`powder
`Liquid Sweetener:
`LYCASIN ® 80/55
`NEOSORB @ 70/70 M
`Maltitol syrup no. 1
`Maltitol syrup no. 2
`Additive:
`Glycerin
`Magnesium Stearate (% with respect
`to total weight)
`Coating Lacquer of the shellac
`type (% relative to total weight)
`Flavoring
`Diffusion after 10 days
`Diffusion after 90 days
`Diffusion starts at
`
`TABLE I
`Ch 2
`
`30,0%
`
`42,52%
`4,0%
`1%
`
`0
`16,50%
`0
`0
`
`5,0%
`0,01%
`
`Ch 3
`
`30,0%
`
`42,52%
`4,0%
`1%
`
`0
`16,50%
`0
`0
`
`5,0%
`0
`
`Ch 4
`
`30,0%
`
`42,52%
`4,0%
`1%
`
`8,25%
`0
`8,25%
`0
`
`5,0%
`0
`
`0
`
`0,02%
`
`0
`
`Ch 1
`
`30,0%
`
`42,52%
`4,0%
`1%
`
`0
`16,50%
`0
`0
`
`5,0%
`0
`
`0
`
`Ch 5
`
`30,0%
`
`42,52%
`4,0%
`1%
`
`16,50%
`0
`0
`0
`
`5,0%
`0
`
`0
`
`Ch 6
`
`30,0%
`
`42,52%
`4,0%
`1%
`
`0
`9,50%
`0
`7%
`
`5,0%
`0
`
`0
`
`q.s.p. 100% q.s.p. 100% q.s.p. 100% q.s.p. 100% q.s.p. 100% q.s.p. l00%
`starts
`non-existant non-existant non-existant non~existant non-existant
`total
`very slight non-existant not visible
`not visible
`very slight
`10 days
`90 days
`non-existant not visible
`not visible
`90 days
`at 200 days at 200 days at 200 days
`
`30
`
`coloring or dye are ?avored and comprise an arti?cial
`
`sweetener.
`
`'
`
`4. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`claim 1, wherein the stearate is magnesium stearate.
`5. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`claim 1, wherein the fatty acid ester is glycerol ester.
`6. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate
`comprises from 25 to 85% of maltitol and from 1 to 17%
`of sorbitol with respect to the dry matter.
`7. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate
`has the following composition:
`maltitol from 35 to 75%
`sorbitol from 5 to 17%
`maltotriitol from 10 to 25%,
`the complement to 100 being constituted by polyols of
`degree of polymerization or DP 24.
`8. Sugarless speckled chewing-gum according to
`claim 1, wherein the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate
`has the following composition:
`hydrogenated disaccharides from 50 to 55%
`sorbitol from 6 to 8%
`hydrogenated tri- to hexa-saccharides from 20 to
`25%
`hydrogenated saccharides of DP >6 from 15 to 20%.
`9. In the process for the preparation of the chewing
`gum according to claim 1, comprising:
`softening of the gum base by heating and kneading,
`continuing the said heating and kneading and intro
`ducing in the soft gum base successively the sweet
`ener in liquid phase, the sweetener in solid phase
`and then or at the same time, the solid sweetening
`particles comprising a coloring or dye,
`subjecting the resulting composition to extrusion,
`through a die, then to rolling and cutting-up to give
`it the marketed shape,
`the improvement comprising supplementing the solid
`sweetening particles comprising a coloring or dye with
`
`From the results of Table I, it is deduced that the
`chewing-gums according to the invention (Ch 2 and Ch
`4 to Ch 6) do not show diffusion during the usual stor
`age times, which are generally less than 3 months; fur
`thermore, the ?avor is well perceived contrary to what
`happens with chewing-gum Ch 3.
`As is self-evident and as can be readily understood
`and appreciated from the foregoing, the invention-is in
`no way limited to those features, particulars and exam
`ples speci?cally described; it encompasses thereof, on
`the contrary, all modi?cations.
`What is claimed is:
`1. In a sugarless speckled chewing-gum comprising a
`gum base, a sweetener in liquid phase, a sweetener in
`solid phase and a plurality of sweetening particles com
`prising a coloring or dye, the improvement comprising
`con?ning the coloring or dye inside the sweetening
`particles by incorporating at least one con?ning agent
`selected from the group consisting of the edible stea
`rates, edible fatty acid esters and hydrogenated starch
`hydrolysates whose glucidic spectrum is as follows,
`percentages being given with respect to the dry matter:
`maltitol: 25 to 95%,
`sorbitol: 0.1 to 19%,
`the complement to 100 being constituted by polyols of
`degree of polymerization (DP) :3,
`wherein the stearates are incorporated, in the sweet
`ening particles in a proportion of about 0.5 to 4%
`by weight with respect to the weight of the parti
`cles,
`wherein the fatty acid esters are incorporated, in the
`sweetening particles in a proportion of about 0.5 to
`5% by weight with respect to the weight of the
`particles, and/or
`wherein the hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are
`incorporated, in the sweetener in liquid phase in a
`proportion of about 5 to 30% by weight with re
`spect to the total mass of the chewing-gum.
`
`40
`
`45
`
`60
`
`65
`
`Page 4 of 5
`
`

`
`7
`a proportion of about 0.5 to about 4% with respect to
`the weight of the particles of an edible stearate,
`whereby the coloring or dye is con?ned inside the said
`particles.
`10. Process according to claim 9, comprising supple
`menting the solid sweetening particles comprising a
`coloring or dye with a proportion of about 0.5 to about
`4% with respect to the weight of the particles of magne
`sium stearate, whereby the coloring or dye is con?ned
`inside the said particles.
`11. Process according to claim 9, comprising supple
`menting the solid sweetening particles comprising a
`coloring or dye with a proportion of about 0.5 to 5%
`with respect to the weight of the particles of an edible
`fatty acids ester, whereby the coloring or dye is con
`?ned inside the said particles.
`12. Process according to claim 9, comprising supple
`menting the solid sweetening particles comprising a
`coloring or dye with a proportion of about 0.5 to 5%
`with respect to the weight of the particles of glycerol
`ester, whereby the coloring or dye is con?ned inside the
`said particles.
`
`4,744,991
`8
`13. In the process for the preparation of the chewing
`gum according to claim 1, comprising:
`softening of the gum base by heating and kneading,
`continuing the said heating and kneading and intro
`ducing in the soft gum base successively the sweet
`ener in liquid phase, the sweetener in solid phase
`and then or at the same time, the solid sweetening
`particles comprising a coloring or dye,
`subjecting the resulting composition to extrusion,
`through a die, then to rolling and cutting-up to give
`it the marketed shape,
`the improvement comprising supplementing the sweet
`ener in liquid phase at the moment of kneading with a
`proportion of about 5 to 30% with respect to the total
`weight of the chewing-gum of a hydrogenated starch
`hydrolysate whose glucid spectrum is as follows, the
`percentages being given with respect to dry matter;
`maltitol: from 25 to 95%,
`sorbitol: from 0.1 to 19%,
`the complement to 100 being constituted by polyols of
`degree of polymerization Z 3, whereby the coloring or
`dye is con?ned inside the said particles.
`* * * * *
`
`10
`
`25
`
`35
`
`45
`
`55
`
`65
`
`Page 5 of 5