Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
P7319S01/1
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FRUIT JUICE CONCEUTR~TE IN CHEWING 5UM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field oE the Invention:
The present invention relates to the use oP fruit juices,
and particularly concentrated fruit juices, as f]avorants in
chewing gum compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Arto
Most chewing gum compositions, includin~ bubble gums,
contain a generally water-insoluble gum base, water-soluble
sweeteners that are either natural or artificial, and a
flavoring agent that may be added in a variety of forms.
Also, the gum may contain various additives such as
plasticizers, softeners and bulking agents to improve the
consistency and other qualitative properties of the gum.
A commonly noted deficiency in chewing gums has been the
relatively rapid exhaustion of the flavor and sweetness
sensation during chewing. This loss frequently occurs within
the first three to five minutes of chewing.
Cold~pressed and concentrated natural essential oils,
widely used as flavoring materials, are subject to flavor
deterioration resulting from the action of heat, light, air
and moisture. These essential oil flavors are known to
oxidize when stored in the presence of air and moisture.
During this deterioration process, terpene compounds, which
have very unpleasant odors and tastes, are ~ormed and the
oxidized oils are therefore no longer satisfactory for use in
flavoring.
Many attempts have been made to alleviate the
aforementioned problems which are associated with chawing gum
compositions which include natural essential oils as a
flavoring agent. For example, U.S. Patent No. 2,060,~61
provides a bubble gum composition which include~ natural
essential oils that have been pretreated to remove terpenes.
Suitable natural essential oils are said to include
peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, birch, cassia, cloves,
anise, ginger, lemon and orange.
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U.S. Patent No. 1,807,704 discloses a chewing gum
formulation which includes 5% lemon juice, which is said to
prevent crystallization of sugar within the composition. In
addition to lemon juice, the formulation contains 50% mastic
gum, 6~ be~swax, 4% olive oil, and 35% sugar syrup.
U.S. Patent No. 4,513,012 discloses a center-filled
chewing gum which may include flavor oils such as spearmint
oil, cinnamon, oil of wintergreen (methylsalicylate~, as well
as artificial, natural or synthetic fruit flavors such as
citrus oil, lemon, orange, grape, lime and grapefruit and
fruit essences including apple, strawberry, cherry, and
pineapple.
In spite o~ the above-mentioned efforts, it i5 generally
agreed that no formulation and/or flavor is known which
maintains fully a distinctive, natural taste characteristic in
the oral cavity during the useful life of a chewing gum.
It has now been found that the chewing gum composition of
this invention will provide superior flavor properties over
prolonged periods of time, witho~t the disadvantages
characteristic of previously known products.
UMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicant has unexpectedly discovered a chewing gum
composition comprising from about 15~ to about 85% hy weight
of a gum base material, from about 14% to about 60% by weight
of a sweetening agent, and from about 1% to about 25% by
weight of a flavoring agent which comprises at least one
concen~rated fruit juice.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, it has been
unexpectedly discovered to form a chewing gum composition
which comprises from about 15% to about 85% by weight of a
water-insoluble gum base material, from about 14% to about 60%
by weight o~ a sweetening agent comprising sugar, and from
about 1% to about 25~ by weight of a flavoring agent
comprising at least one concentrated fruit juice selected from
the group consisting of natural fruit juices, natural and
artificial flavors and mixtures thereof.
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Th~ invention also involves a method for preparing these
novel chewing gum compositions.
In one preferred embodiment, a method for preparing a
chewing gum composition comprises:
a) providing a mixture of from about 15% to about
85% by weight of a gum base material, from about 14% to about
60~ by weight of a sweetening agent, and from about 1% to
about 25% by weight of a flavoring agent which comprises at
least one concentrated fruit juice;
b) fo~ming a chewing gum composition from said
mixture; and
c) recovering said chewing gum composition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE N~VENTION
Applicant has unexpectedly discovered a novel chewing gum
composition comprising:
a) from about 15% to about 85% by weight of a gum
base material;
b) from about 14% to about 60% by weight of a
sweetening agent; and
c) from about 1% to about 25% by weight o~ a
flavoring agent which comprises at least one concentrated
fruit juice.
Chewing gum composikions formed with the above-described
chewing gum components yield a product which exhibits
surprisingly good flavor characteristics.
The invention comprises a unique combination of three
essential components, namely a gum base material, a sweetening
agent, and a flavoring agent which comprises at leàst one
concentrated fruit juice. In the absence of any one of these
components from the formulations of this invention,
compositions may be prepared which do not exhibit the enhanced
effect achieved ~rom this combination.
The gum base used in this invention may be any water-
insoluble gum base well known in the art. Illustrative
examples of suitable polymers in gum bases include both
natural and synthPtic elastomers and rubbers. For example,
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those polymers which are suitable in gum bases include,without limitation, substances of vegetable origin such as
chicle, jelutong, balata, gutta-percha, lechi caspi, sorva,
guayule rubber, crown gum and mixtures thereof. Synthetic
elastomers such as butadiene-styrene copolymers, isobutylene-
isoprene copolymers, polyethylene, polyisobutylene,
polyvinylacetate and mixtures thereof, are particularly
useful.
The amount of gum base employed will vary considerably
depending on various factors such as the type of base used,
consistency desired and other components used to make the
final product. In general, amounts of about 5% to about 85%
by weight of the final chewing gum composition are acceptable
for use in the present invention, with preferred amounts of
15~ to about 85% by weight.
The gum base composition may contain elastomer solvents
to aid in softening the rubber component. Such elastomer
solvents may comprise methyl, glycerol or pentaerythritol
esters o~ rosins or modified rosins, such as hydrogenated,
dimerized or polymerized rosins or mixtures thereof. Examples
of elastomer solvents suitable for use herein include
pentaerythritol ester or partially hydrogenated wood rosin or
gum, pentaerythritol ester of wood rosin or gum, glycerol
ester of polymerized rosin, glycerol ester of tall oil rosin,
glycerol ester of wood rosin or gum and partially hydrogenated
wood rosin or gum/ and partially hydrogenated methyl est2r or
rosin and mixtures thereof. The solvent may be employed in an
amount ranging from abou~ 10% to about 75%, and preferably
from about 45~ to about 70%, by weight of the gum base.
A variety of traditional ingredients used as plasticizers
or softeners such as lanolin, stearic acid, sodium stearate,
potassium stearate, glyceryl triacetate, glycerin and the
like, may be incorporated into the gum base to obtain a
variety of desirable textures and consistency properties.
These additional materials are generally employed in amounts
of up to about 30~ by weight and preferably in amounts of from
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3% to about 7% by weight of the final gum base composition.
The chewing gum compositions of the present invention
generally contain sweetening agents (sweeteners). The
sweetening agent may be selected from a wide range of
materials including water-soluble sweetening agents, water~
soluble artificial sweeteners, water-soluble sweetening agents
derived from naturally occurring water-soluble sweeteners t and
additional amounts of dipetide based sweeteners, and protein
based sweeteners, including mixtures thereof. Without being
limited to particular sweeteners, representative illustrations
encompass:
A. Water-soluble sweetening agents such as
monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides such as
xylose, ribose, glucose (dextrose), mannose, galactose,
fructose (levulose), sucrose (sugar), maltose in~ert sugar (a
mixtuxe of fructose and glucose derived from sucrose),
partially hydrolyzed starch, corn syrup solids,
dihydrochalcones, monellin, steviosides, glycyrrhizin, and
sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol,
hydrogenated starch hydrolysate and mixtures thereof;
B. Water-soluble artificial sweeteners such as the
soluble saccharin salts, i.e., sodium and calcium saccharin
salts, cyclamate salts, acesul~ame-K and the like, and the
free acid form of saccharin;
C. Dipetide based sweeteners such as L-aspartyl-L-
phenylalanine methyl ester and materials described in U.S.
Patent No. 3,492,131, h-alpha~aspartyl-N-(2,2,4,4-
tetramethyl-3-thietanyl)-D-alaninamide hydrate, and the
like;
D. Water-soluble sweeteners derived from naturally
occurring water-soluble swee~eners, such as chlorinated
deri~atives of ordinary sugar (sucrose), known for example
under the product designation of sucralose; and
E. Protein based sweeteners such as thaumatin.
In general, the amount of sweetPner employed will vary
with the sweetener selected for a particular chewing gum
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composition. Thus, for any given sweetener a sufficientamoun~ of sweetener is used to provide the end result desired.
For example, an effPctive amount of sweetener is utilized to
provide the level of sweetness desired. This amount will
normally be 0~01% to ahout 90% by weight when using an easily
extractable sweetener. The water-soluble sweeteners described
in category A above, are usually used in amounts of about 14%
to about 60% by weight, and preferably in amounts of about 45%
to about 55% by weight of the final chewing gum composition.
Some of the sweeteners in category A (e.g., glycyrrhizin) may
be used in amounts set forth for categories B-E below due to
the sweeteners known sweetening ability. In contrast, the
additional artificial sweeteners described in categories B-E
are used in amounts of about 0.005% to about 5.0% and most
preferably about 0.05% to about 2.5% by weight of the inal
chewing gum composition. These amounts are ordinarily
necessary to achieve a desired level of sweetness independent
from the flavor level achieved from the flavoring agents.
The flavoring agents provided in accordance with the
present invention comprise at least one concentrated fruit
juice which may be selected from a variety of fruit juice
concentrates, including orange juice concentrate, cherry juice
concentrate, grape juice concentrate, strawberry juice
concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate, lemon juice
concentrate, lime juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate,
pineapple juice concentrate, peach juice concentrate, apricot
juice concentrate, banana juice concentrate, tangerine juice
concentrate, blueberry juice concentrate, mango juice
concentrate, papaya juice concentrate, grapefruit juice
concentrate, pear juice concentrate and mixtures thereof.
The fla~oring agents of the invention comprise from about
1~ to about 25%, and preferably comprise from about 5% to
about 15% by weight of the total chewing gum composition.
Fifteen percent juice concentrate may be said to be equivalent
to approximately 55% to 75% juice in the final chewing gum
composition.
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flavoring agents of the invention comprise at least one
concentrated fruit juice, the fruit juice concentrate having a
concentration of from about 30 to about ~5 Brix, preferably
from about 40 to about 78 Brix, and most preferably from about
60 to about 70 Brix.
The concentrated fruit juices may be used as the sole
flavorants in the chewing gum compositions of the present
invention, or artificial-type flavoring agents may optionally
be added to the fruit juice concentrate based flavoring
agents, preferably in an amount of from about 0.2% to about 5~
by weight of the total chewing gum composition. The optional
addition of natural essential oils to the concentrated fruit
juice-based flavoring agents of the invention is also
contemplated.
Among the optional artificial flavor additives which are
useful in the chewing gum compositions of the present
invention are those selected from the group consisting of
artificial orange, cherry, grape, strawberry, raspberry,
lemon, lime, apple, pineapple, peach, apricot, banana,
tangerine, blueberry, mango, papaya, grapefruit, pear and
mixtures thereof.
The chewing gum compositions of the invention may
additionally include the conventional additives of coloring
agents such as titanimum dioxide; emulsifiers such as lecithin
and glyceryl monostearate; and additional fillers such as
aluminum hydroxide, alumina, aluminum silicates, calcium
carbonate, talc and combinations thereof. These fillers may
also be used in the gum base in various amounts. Preferably
the amounts of fillers when used will vary from 4% to about
30% by weight of the final chewing gum product.
In another aspect of the invention, it has been
unexpectedly discovered to form a chewing gum composition
comprising: ~
a) from about 15~ to abou~ 85% by weight of a water-
insoluble gum base material;
b) from about 14% to about 60% by weight of a sweetening
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insoluble gum base material;
b) from about 14% to about 60% by weight of a sweetening
agent comprising sugar;
c) ~rom about 1% to about ~5% by weight of a flavoring
agent comprising at least one concentrated fruit juice
selected from the group consisting of natural fruit juices,
natural and artificial flavors and mixtures thereof.
The invention also contemplates a method for preparing a
chewing gum composition comprising:
a) providing a mixture of from about 15% to about 85% by
weight of a gum base material, from about 1~% to about 60% by
weight of a sweetening agent, and from about 1% to about 25%
by weight of a flavoring a~ent which comprises at least one
concentrated fruit juice;
b~ forming a chewing gum composition from said mixture;
and
c) recovering said chewing gum composition.
The means for mixing the gum base material, sweetening
agent and flavoring agent are conventionally known to those
skilled in the art. A particular advantage of the present
invention is that no special adjustment of manufacturing
procedures are necessary in order to produce the novel chewing
gum compositions of the present invention.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for
preparing a chewing gum compositîon comprises:
a) providing a mixture of from about 15% to about 85% by
weight of a water-insoluble gum base material, from about 14%
to about 60% by weight of a sweetening agent comprising sugar,
and from about 1% to about 25% by weight of a flavoring agent
comprising at least one concentrated fruit juice selected from
the group consisting o~ natural fruit juices, natural and
artificial flavors and mixtures thereof;
b) forming a chewing gum composition from said mixture;
and
c) recovering said chewing gum composition.
The chewing gum compositions made from the instant
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process may be of the sugar or sugarless variety and may be
formulated into regular or non-adhering chewing gum pieces.
Bubble gum, stick gum, pillow shaped, chunk, coated, and other
gum piece forms well known to the art are contemplated. If a
sugarless gum is desired, then the fruit juice may be of the
sour citrus variety with no or negligible sugar content, e.g.,
lemon and lime.
A suitable process for preparing the chewing gum
compositions of the present invention comprises adding to a
suitable gum kettle a melted blend of gum base and corn syrup
and mixing until homogenous. Usually a homogenous mass is
obtained in about six minutes at a temperature of about 55 to
about 65C. Sugar, or other suitable sweeteners, and color
are then blended into the homogenous mass for approximately
two minutes. The flavoring agent is then added to the
composition and mixed until sufficiently homogeneous.
The following examples are given to illustrate the
invention, but are not deemed to be limiting thereof. All
percentages given throughout the specification are based upon
the weight of the final chewing gum composition unless
otherwise indicated.
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EXAMPLE 1
Preparation of a Chewinq Gum Composition
A chewing gum composition was prepared from the following
ingredients:
Percent
Ingredient w/w
Gum Base 22.0
Sweetening Agent 56.6
Corn Syrup 10.0
Orange Juice Concentrate 10.0
Citric Acid 1.2
Color 0.2
When subjected to a test panel evaluation, it was found
that the chewing gum composition prepared according to the
formulation of this example had a pleasant fruit juice taste
with good texture, although the sample would be improved with
added flavor or essence.
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EXAMPLE 2
Preparation of a Chewina Gum Comeosition
A chewing gum composition was prepared from the following
ingredients:
Percent
Ingredient w/w
Gum Base 22.0
Sweetening Agent 55.6
Corn Syrup 60 0
Orange ~uice Concentrate 15.0
Citric Acid l.2
Color 0.2
When tested according to Example l, the chewing gum
composition prepared according to this example had a pleasant
fruit juice taste with good texture, and had a stronger flavor
than the composition from Example l. There was no need to add
additional flavor or essence to the composition of this
example.
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EXAMPLE 3
Preparation of a Chewinq Gum Com~osition
A chewing gum composition was prepared from the following
ingredients:
Percent
Inqredient w/w
Gum Base 22.8
Sweetening Agent 61.4
Corn Syrup 12.0
Cherry Juice Concentrate 2.0
Artificial Fruit Punch Flavor0.9
Citric Acid 0.7
Color 0.2
When tested according to Example 1, the chewing gum
composition prepared according to this example had a pleasant
taste and good texture. The use of artificial fruit flavor in
conjunction with the fruit juice concentrate flavorant was
necessary because the lower amount o~ fruit juice concentrate
did not suffice as the sole flavorant in the composition.
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EXAMPLE 4
Pree~ation of 3 Chewinq Gum Composition
A chewing gum composition was prepared from the following
ingredients:
Percent
Ingredient w/w
Gum Base 22.8
Sweetening Agent 61.4
Corn Syrup 12.0
Multi-juice Concentrate 2.0
Artificial Fruit Flavor O.9
Citric Acid 0.7
Color 0.2
Cherry, Orange and Pineapple
When tested according to Example 1, the chewing gum
composition prepared according to the above example had a
pleasant taste and good texture. The use of a multi-juice
concentrate in conjunction with the fruit juice concentrate
was necessary because the lower amount of juice concentrate
was insufficient as the sole flavorant in the composition.
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EXAMPLE 5
PreParation of a C,hewi,,ng Gum Composition
A chewing gum composition was prepared from the following
ingredients:
Percent
Inqredient w/w
Gum Base 22.8
Sweetening Agent 61.4
Corn Syrup 12.0
~ixed Juice Concentrate 2.0
Artificial Fruit Flavor 0.9
Citric Acid 0.7
Color 0.2
Cherry and Apple
When tested according to Example 1, the chewing gum
composition prepared according to the above example had a
pleasant taste and good texture. Again, the use of the
artificial flavor in conjunction with the fruit juice
concentrate was necessary because the lower amount of juice
concentrate was insufficient as the sole flavorant in the
composition.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious
that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are
not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of
the invention and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the SCOpQ of the following claims.
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