Chewing gum products using oligofructose
First Claim
1. A chewing gum composition comprising sweetness imparting amounts of unencapsulated aspartame and an effective amount of oligofructose to stabilize said aspartame against decomposition during storage at 85°
- F. for eight weeks whereby at least 5% less aspartame decomposes into non-sweetening derivatives than would have decomposed if the oligofructose were not included in the gum composition.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Chewing gum products containing oligofructose and methods of making such products are disclosed. In one embodiment, the oligofructose is used in a rolling compound applied to the chewing gum product. In a second embodiment, the oligofructose is used in a coating, such as a hard-shell coating, for a pellet gum. In a third embodiment, oligofructose is used in the center fill of a chewing gum. In a fourth embodiment, aspartame is used to sweeten the gum composition and oligofructose is provided, preferably in an effective amount to stabilize the aspartame such that after eight weeks of storage at 85° F., at least 5% less aspartame decomposes than would have decomposed if the oligofructose were not included. Oligofructose is also codried with other sweeteners, coevaporated to make syrups and used as an encapsulating agent for high-intensity sweeteners or flavors used in gum compositions.
118 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A chewing gum composition comprising sweetness imparting amounts of unencapsulated aspartame and an effective amount of oligofructose to stabilize said aspartame against decomposition during storage at 85°
- F. for eight weeks whereby at least 5% less aspartame decomposes into non-sweetening derivatives than would have decomposed if the oligofructose were not included in the gum composition.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 24)
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5. A chewing gum composition comprising a highintensity sweetener encapsulated with oligofructose.
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6. A chewing gum composition comprising a flavor encapsulated with oligofructose.
- 8. A chewing gum product having a rolling compound thereon, the rolling compound comprising oligofructose.
- 11. A coated chewing gum product comprising a gum pellet coated with a coating comprising oligofructose.
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14. A chewing gum product having a liquid center wherein the liquid center comprises oligofructose.
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16. A method of making a coated chewing gum product comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a gum pellet; b) applying a liquid coating syrup to the surface of the gum pellet, the coating syrup comprising oligofructose, and c) solidifying the coating syrup. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26)
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21. A method of making chewing gum comprising the steps of:
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a) co-drying a solution containing oligofructose and another sweetener selected from the group consisting of sugar sweeteners, alditol sweeteners and high-intensity sweeteners, and b) mixing the co-dried oligofructose sweetener with gum base and flavoring agents to produce a gum composition.
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22. A method of making chewing gum comprising the steps of:
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a) co-evaporating an aqueous solution comprising oligofructose and a plasticizing agent to form a syrup, and b) mixing the syrup with gum base, bulking agents and flavoring agents to produce a gum composition. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A chewing gum composition comprising:
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a) about 5% to about 95% gum base; b) about 0.1% to about 10% of a flavoring agent, c) about 5% to about 90% bulking agent, the bulking agent comprising at least in part oligofructose, and d) sweetening amounts of aspartame.
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Specification