Sweetener compositions

• US 8,911,806 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douxmatok Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Douxmatok Ltd.
• Inventors: Baniel, Avraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawla, Jyoti
• Application Number:
  US11/995,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20090297670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,136 Days
• Field of Search: 426/96, 426/97, 127/30, 127/34, 127/36, 127/63
• US Class Current: 426/96
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/33 containing sugars or derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/70 Fixation, conservation, or encapsulation of flavouring agents
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/72 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/77 Use of inorganic solid carriers, e.g. silica
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/79 in the form of films
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/15 Flavour affecting agent
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/16 Taste affecting agent
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/22 Coating agent
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/25 Nanoparticles, nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/254 Particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2250/60 Sugars, e.g. mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-saccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2250/61 Glucose, Dextrose
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2250/628 Saccharose, sucrose

Abstract

The invention provides a sweetener composition comprising a core nano particle in association with a sweetener carbohydrate.

Claims

1. A dehydrated sweetener composition consisting essentially of a core nano-particle and a sweetener carbohydrate;

wherein said sweetener carbohydrate is in direct association with said core nano-particle and forms a sweetener carbohydrate coating;

wherein said core nano-particle comprises exposed oxygen atoms along the surface thereof linked to said sweetener carbohydrate via hydrogen bonding thereby allowing release of said core nano-particle upon ingestion;

wherein said core nano-particle is nano-silica; and

wherein said sweetener carbohydrate coating exhibits enhanced sweetness compared to a comparable amount of sweetener carbohydrate in free unassociated form.

2. A sweetener composition according to claim 1, wherein said core nano-particles are of a size of between about 3 nm and 100 nm.

3. A sweetener composition according to claim 1, wherein said core nano-particles are of a size of between about 5 nm and 50 nm.

4. A sweetener composition according to claim 1, wherein said core nano-particles are dispersible in water.

5. A sweetener composition according to claim 1, wherein said core nano-particles are substantially water-insoluble.

6. A sweetener composition according to claim 1, wherein said sweetener carbohydrate coating exhibits a sweetness at least two-fold greater when compared to a comparable amount of sweetener carbohydrate in free unassociated form.

7. A sweetener composition according to claim 1, wherein said sweetener carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of mono-saccharides, di-saccharides and combinations thereof.

8. A sweetener composition according to claim 7, wherein said mono-saccharide is glucose or fructose.

9. A sweetener composition according to claim 7, wherein said di-saccharide is sucrose.