Environmentally friendly chewing gum compositions containing elastic protein-based polymers and method of making it

• US 5,580,590 A
• Filed: 12/27/1993
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hartman, Scott E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kepplinger, Esther
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, LIEN THUY
• Application Number:
  US08/174,185
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 426/3-6
• US Class Current: 426/3
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/00 Chewing gum
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/064 containing inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/08 of the chewing gum base
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/123 containing microorganisms, enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 4/14 containing peptides or proteins containing dairy products A23G4/16

Abstract

A chewing gum composition is provided comprising a water soluble gum portion and a water insoluble gum base portion including an elastic protein-based polymer. Additionally, a method for creating an environmentally acceptable chewing gum is provided comprising the steps of creating a chewing gum base that includes a sufficient amount of elastic protein-based polymer to create a resultant chewing gum that is more environmentally acceptable than a chewing gum without elastic protein-based polymer, and adding to the chewing gum base a water soluble portion to create the resultant chewing gum.

Claims

1. A chewing gum composition comprising:

a water soluble gum portion; and

a water insoluble gum base portion including an elastic protein-based polymer that consists essentially of polypeptide units that include a repeating polypeptide monomer that is a peptide monomer and has a peptide sequence of SEQ ID NO;

1 the water insoluble gum base comprising at least 1% by weight elastic protein-based polymer.

2. The chewing gum composition of claim 1 wherein the water insoluble gum base comprises up to about 99 percent by weight elastic protein-based polymer.

3. The chewing gum composition of claim 1 including a texturizer.

4. The chewing gum composition of claim 3 wherein the texturizer is chosen from the group consisting of water and glycerin.

5. The chewing gum composition of claim 1 wherein the elastic protein-based polymer includes a repeating polypeptide monomer.

6. The chewing gum composition of claim 5 wherein the repeating polypeptide monomer is a pentapeptide monomer.

7. The chewing gum composition of claim 1 wherein the base also includes an elastomer.

8. The chewing gum composition of claim 1 wherein the base also includes an elastomer plasticizer.

9. A chewing gum composition comprising:

a water soluble gum portion; and

a water insoluble gum base portion including an elastic protein-based polymer;

wherein the elastic protein-based polymer includes a repeating polypeptide monomer that is a pentapeptide monomer and has a peptide sequence of SEQ ID NO;

1.

10. A method for creating an environmentally friendly chewing gum comprising the steps of:

creating a chewing gum base that comprises at least 1% by weight elastic protein-based polymer that includes a repeating polypeptide monomer that is a peptide monomer and has a polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO;

3, to create a resultant chewing gum that is more environmentally friendly than a chewing gum without elastic protein-based polymer; and

adding to the chewing gum base a water soluble portion to create the resultant chewing gum.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the chewing gum base comprises not more than about 99 percent by weight elastic protein-based polymer.

12. The method of claim 10 including a texturizer.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the elastic protein-based polymer includes a repeating pentapeptide monomer and a repeating polypeptide monomer.

14. A chewing gum composition comprising:

a gum base;

a flavor;

a sweetener;

a texturizer; and

an elastic protein-based polymer that consists essentially of polypeptides that include a repeating polypeptide monomer that is a peptide monomer and has a polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO;

1 and comprises at least 1% by weight of the gum base.

15. The chewing gum composition of claim 14 wherein the gum base comprises not more than 99 percent by weight elastic protein-based polymer.

16. The chewing gum composition of claim 14 wherein the texturizer is chosen from the group consisting of water and glycerin.

17. The chewing gum composition of claim 14 wherein the elastic protein-based polymer includes a repeating pentapeptide monomer and a repeating polypeptide monomer.

18. The chewing gum composition of claim 14 wherein the base also includes an elastomer.

19. The chewing gum composition of claim 14 wherein the base also includes an elastomer plasticizer.

20. A method for creating an environmentally friendly chewing gum comprising the steps of:

creating an elastic protein-based polymer that is crosslinked to provide desired elastic properties and that includes a repeating polypeptide monomer that is a peptide monomer and has a polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO;

1;

creating a chewing gum base that comprises at least 1% by weight of the elastic protein-based polymer; and

adding to the chewing gum base a water soluble portion to create a resultant chewing gum.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the elastic protein-based polymer is cross-linked by gamma irradiation.