Method for making coated chewing gum products including a high-intensity sweetener

• US 6,572,900 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zuehlke, Julius W., Shen, Chungsea A., Knutsen, Jonathan J., Sitler, Daniel J., Barkalow, David G., Zyck, Daniel J., Schnell, Philip G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, Arthur L.
• Application Number:
  US09/591,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 426/3, 426/5
• 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 4/08 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

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 a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a high-intensity 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.

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 a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a bulk sweetener and a high-intensity sweetener, with the ratio of bulk sweetener to high-intensity sweetener being between about 1;

5 and about 5;

1; and

d) applying the first and second coating syrups to the cores 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 2 wherein the antacid comprises calcium carbonate.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the calcium carbonate comprises between about 5% and about 50% of the total solids in the first coating syrup.

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

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second coating syrups are mixed just prior to being applied to the cores.

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

8. 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.).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-intensity sweetener is a high-intensity 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.

10. 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.).

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-intensity sweetener comprises a dipetide sweetener selected from the group consisting of aspartame, alitame and neotame.

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

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

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, erythritol and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-intensity sweetener comprises between about 20% and about 80% of the total solids in the second coating syrup.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener in the first coating syrup comprises a polyol, the first coating syrup further comprises from between about 10% and about 40% calcium carbonate by weight of the solids in the first coating syrup, and the high-intensity 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 high-intensity sweetener is not encapsulated.

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

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the high intensity sweetener comprises aspartame.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the first coating syrup is essentially free of high-intensity sweetener.

24. 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.

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

26. 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.

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

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the application of the first and second coating syrups involves applying one of the first and second syrups both before and after the other of the first and second syrups is applied.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener in the first coating syrup comprises maltitol and wherein the bulk sweetener in the second coating syrup comprises maltitol.

30. 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 a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a high-intensity sweetener and holding the second coating syrup at an average temperature of less than 90°

F. (32°

C.);

d) applying the first and second coating syrups to produce a coating on the cores.