Antacid chewing gum products coated with high viscosity materials

• US 6,663,849 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Urnezis, Philip W., Barkalow, David G., Greenberg, Michael J., Marske, Scott W., Zyck, Daniel J., Mazzone, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Page, Thurman K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joynes, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,669
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 424/48, 424/440, 424/400, 424/603, 424/715, 424/441, 424/439
• US Class Current: 424/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2300/00 Mixtures or combinations of active ingredients, wherein at least one active ingredient is fully defined in groups A61K31/00 - A61K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/426 1,3-Thiazoles
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/10 Carbonates; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0058 Chewing gums non-medicinal aspects, preparing chewing gum A23G4/00; chewing gum for care of the teeth or oral cavity, e.g. with breath freshener A61Q11/00

Abstract

A method of making antacid coated chewing gum products comprises the steps of providing chewing gum cores; providing a coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener, calcium carbonate and a binding agent; and applying the coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a sugarless coating on the cores. The coating on the cores produces a high viscosity in saliva when the gum is chewed, in that 4.5 grams of said coating dispersed in 30 ml of water has a Brookfield viscosity at 23° C. of at least 1.6 centipoise.

Claims

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

a) providing chewing gum cores;

b) providing a coating syrup comprising;

i) a bulk sweetener;

ii) calcium carbonate, wherein the calcium/carbonate comprises between about 25% and about 60% of the total solids in the coating syrup; and

iii) a binding agent; and

c) applying the coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a sugarless coating on the cores;

d) wherein the coating on the cores produces a high viscosity in saliva when the gum is chewed, in that 4.5 grams of said coating dispersed in 30 ml of water has a Brookfield viscosity at 23°

C. of at least 1.6 centipoise; and

e) wherein the calcium carbonate comprises between about 25% and about 60% of the coating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener is a polyol.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the polyol is a disaccharide polyol.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of maltitol, lactitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium carbonate has a median particle size of between about 3 microns and about 75 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium carbonates has a median particle size of between about 3 microns and about 15 microns.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the binding agent is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, gum taiha, guar gum, karaya gum, locust bean gum, alginate gums, xanthan gum, arabinogalactan, cellulose derivatives, vegetable gums, gelatin and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium carbonate comprises between about 30% and about 40% of the total solids in the coating syrup.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium carbonate comprises between about 30% and about 40% of the coating.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating further comprises a high-intensity sweetener.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk sweetener comprises maltitol.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium carbonate is a precipitated calcium carbonate.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the high-intensity sweetener is applied as part of a different coating syrup from the coating syrup containing calcium carbonate.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the high-intensity sweetener comprises acesulfame K.

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

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating further comprises a histamine H₂—

receptor antagonist.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the histamine H₂—

receptor antagonist is selected from the group consisting of cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, nizatidine and mixtures thereof.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the histamine H₂—

receptor antagonist comprises famotidine.

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

11. The method of claiml 10 wherein the high-intensity sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucralose, aspartame, N-substituted APM derivatives, salts of acesulfame, alitame, saccharin and its salts, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin, monellin and mixtures thereof.

21. An antacid coated chewing gum product comprising:

a) a chewing gum core; and

b) an antacid coating on the core, the coating comprising;

i) about 30% to about 73% maltitol;

ii) about 25% to about 60% precipitated calcium carbonate, wherein the coating is made from a syrup and the coating syrup used to make the coating comprises calcium carbonate at a level of between about 25% and about 60% of the total solids in the syrup; and

iii) greater than 2% of a binding agent.

22. The antacid coated chewing gum product of claim 21 wherein the binding agent is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, gum talha, arabinogalactan and mixtures thereof.

23. The antacid coated chewing gum product of claim 21 wherein the binding agent comprises gum arabic.

24. The antacid coated chewing gum product of claim 21 wherein the coatingfurther comprises a high-intensity sweetener.

25. The antacid coated chewing gum product of claim 24 wherein the high-intensity sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucralose, aspartame, N-substituted APM derivatives, salts of acesulfame, alitame, saccharin and its salts, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin, monellin and mixtures thereof.

26. The antacid coated chewing gum product of claim 21 wherein the coating on the cores produces a high viscosity in saliva when the gum is chewed, in that 4.5 grams of said coating dispersed in 30 ml of water has a Brookfield viscosity at 23°

C. of at least 1.6 centipoise.

27. A method of delivering an antacid to an individual that provides relief in the gastrointestinal tract comprising the steps of:

a) providing an antacid coated chewing gum product having;

i) a chewing gum core; and

ii) an antacid coating on the core, the coating containing about 25% to about 60% calcium carbonate and a disaccharide polyol, the coating producing a Brookfield viscosity when 4.5 grams of coating are dispersed in 30 ml of water at 23°

C. of at least 1.6 centipose, wherein the coating is made from a syrup and the coating syrup used to make the coating comprises calcium carbonate at a level of between about 25% and about 60% of the total solids in the syrup; and

b) chewing the antacid coated chewing gum product in the mouth and swallowing the coating, the coating dispersing and dissolving to produce an increased viscosity in saliva swallowed with the coating such that the calcium carbonate has an increased residence time in the gastrointestinal tract.