Method for making coated chewing gum products with a coating including an aldehyde flavor and a dipeptide sweetener

• US 20040185144A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barkalow, David G., Zuehlke, Julius W., Shen, Chungsea A., Yatka, Robert J., Witkewitz, David L., Knutsen, Jonathan J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,115,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/5
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/26 Apparatus for coating by tumbling with a liquid or powder, spraying device-associated, drum, rotating pan
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/046 with a centre made of chewing gum
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/064 containing inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/068 containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts containing gums A23G4/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/08 of the chewing gum base
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/10 characterised by the carbohydrates used, e.g. polysaccharides containing dairy products A23G4/16
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/20 Composite products, e.g. centre-filled , multi-layer, laminated
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/10 Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats

Abstract

A method of making coated chewing gum products comprises the steps of providing chewing gum cores; providing a first coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener; providing an aldehyde flavor; providing a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a dipeptide sweetener; and applying the first and second coating syrups to the cores and drying the syrups to produce a coating on the cores. Calcium carbonate or another antacid may be incorporated in the coating by being mixed into the first coating syrup or applied as a dry charge.

Claims

1. A method of making coated chewing gum products comprising the steps of:

a) providing chewing gum cores;

b) providing a first coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener;

c) providing an aldehyde flavor;

d) providing a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a dipeptide sweetener; and

e) applying the first and second coating syrups to the cores, the aldehyde flavor being applied with the first coating syrup, and drying the syrups to produce a coating on the cores.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first coating syrup further comprises an antacid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second coating syrups are held in separate tanks prior to being applied to the cores.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first and second coating syrups are mixed just prior to being applied to the cores.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second coating syrups are applied to the cores at separate times.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first coating syrup is held for use in the coating process at a temperature of at least 130°

F. (54°

C.).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the dipeptide sweetener is a dipeptide sweetener that would degrade by at least 5% if mixed into the first coating syrup and held at a temperature of at least 167°

F. (75°

C.) for a period of at least 7 hours.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second coating syrup is held for use in the coating process at an average temperature of less than 90°

F. (32°

C.).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the dipeptide sweetener is selected from the group consisting of aspartame, alitame, neotame and mixtures thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second coating syrup further comprises a bulk sweetener.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener in the first coating syrup comprises sucrose.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener in the first coating syrup comprises a polyol.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the antacid comprises between about 5% and about 50% of the total solids in the first coating syrup.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the dipeptide sweetener comprises between about 20% and about 80% of the total solids in the second coating syrup.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, erythritol and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener in the first coating syrup comprises a polyol, and the dipeptide sweetener in the second coating syrup comprises aspartame.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first coating syrup is held at an average temperature of at least 150°

F. (66°

C.) for an average period of at least 2 hours before being applied to the cores.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the second coating syrup is held for an average period of less than 4 hours.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating is sugarless.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the dipeptide sweetener is not encapsulated.

21. The method of claim 10 wherein the ratio of the bulk sweetener to the dipeptide sweetener in the second coating syrup is between about 5:

1 and about 1;

5.

22. The method of claim 10 wherein the bulk sweetener in the second coating syrup comprises a polyol.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the dipeptide sweetener comprises aspartame.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the first coating syrup is essentially free of dipeptide sweetener.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein a third coating syrup separate from both the first and second coating syrups and comprising a bulk sweetener is provided and applied to the cores to produce the coating.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein a powdered bulk sweetener is applied to the cores after application of syrup.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of the first coating syrup is applied to the cores, followed by application of the second coating syrup, followed by further application of the first coating syrup.

28. The method claim 1 wherein the aldehyde flavor is mixed into the first syrup before being applied.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the aldehyde flavor is applied separately but at the same time that at least a portion of the first syrup is applied.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the first coating syrup is applied in a series of aliquots and the aldehyde flavor is applied between applications of aliquots of the first syrup.

31. A chewing gum product made by the method of claim 1.

32. A method of making coated chewing gum products comprising the steps of:

a) providing chewing gum cores;

b) providing a first coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener and holding the first coating syrup at an average temperature of at least 100°

F. (38°

C.);

c) providing an aldehyde flavor;

d) providing a second coating syrup containing a dipeptide sweetener separate from the first coating syrup and holding the second coating syrup at an average temperature of less than 90°

F. (32°

C.);

e) applying the first and second coating syrups to produce a coating on the cores, and applying the aldehyde flavor so that it is separated from the second coating syrup by one or more dried layers of first syrup constituting at least 2% by weight of the core.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the one or more dried layers of first syrup constitute at least 3% by weight of the core.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the one or more dried layers of first coating syrup constituting the at least 2% by weight of the core include powder material applied to help dry the first syrup.

35. A method of making coated chewing gum products comprising the steps of:

a) providing chewing gum cores;

b) providing a first coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener;

c) providing an aldehyde flavor;

d) providing a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a dipeptide sweetener;

e) applying the first and second coating syrups to produce a chewing gum coating, and applying the aldehyde flavor so that it is separated from the second coating syrup by one or more dried layers of first syrup constituting at least 2% by weight of the core.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the second coating syrup comprises a suspension syrup.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the aldehyde flavor is selected from the group consisting of cinnamon, cherry, vanilla, lemon, orange, strawberry, apple, grape, peach and mixtures thereof.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein an additional flavor is also included in the coating beside the aldehyde flavor.