Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02484399 2004-10-08
A FLAVORED ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: This is a continuation-in-part of
application Serial No. 10/791,119 filed March 1, 2004.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a novel composition for an artificial
sweetener. More
particularly, this application pertains to an artificial sweetener having that
includes one
or more flavoring ingredients.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] People have a craving for sweet foods and drinks, however, natural
sweeteners, such as sugar, have a high caloric content and therefore are
conducive to
weight gain. Moreover, people with certain medical conditions, such as various
forms of
diabetes, must severely limit their sugar intake.
[0003] In order to overcome these problems, researchers have been looking for
compositions a very low or no caloric content, are sweet but otherwise have a
neutral
taste and can be readily used in food stuff. One of the earliest such
sweeteners that is
still in use is saccharin. Though it is widely used to sweeten many foods and
beverages, saccharin has an aftertaste that is objectionable to some people.
[0004] Another popular artificial sweetener is aspartyl-phenylalanine methyl
ester
("aspartame"). Aspartame has a sweet taste with only minimal bitterness for
most
people. Its onset of sweetness is only slightly slower than sucrose (the key
ingredient of
sugar).
[0005] Various artificial sweeteners are disclosed in, United States Patent
Nos.
5,098,730 to Pepper et al. (composition including xylitol and a reduced
calorie bulking
agent); 4,758,443 to Roy et al. (amides of aspartic acid and certain amides
CA 02484399 2004-10-08
characterized by the presence of a thietanyl substituent); 4,676,989 to
Barnett et
al.(dipepetides of certain aminodicarboxylic acid esters); 4,254,154 to
Eisenstadt
(composition including dipeptide sweetener plus a sugar or sugar alcohol, a
glycyrrhizin
and cream of tartar); and 4,004,039 to Shoaf et al. (aspartame dispersed
throughout a
matrix). These patents, incorporated herein by reference, generally attempt to
provide
or synthesize sweeteners having the taste of the natural sweetness of ordinary
sugar.
However, none of these approaches were completely successful.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is a novel combination of a carrier, a bulking
agent, a
sweet agent and a flavor agent. In the preferred embodiment, the carrier is
dextrose,
the bulking agent is maltodextrin and the sweet agent is aspartame. The flavor
agent
may be a food grade flavor composition. Preferably, the flavor agent is added
first to
the carrier to form a mixture and the other agents are then commingled with
the mixture
to form the final product.
[0007] The artificial sweetener thus obtain has excellent taste and
flowability.
Moreover, when used in various foodstuff, the product does not discolor or
clump.
[0008] Advantageously, the product can be provided in many different packaging
styles, such as one-gram envelopes or canisters for restaurant or private
use,or in bulk
for industrial and commercial food applications.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Preferably, a flavored artificial sweetener prepared in accordance with
this
invention contains at least a carrier and/or a bulking agent, a sweet agent
and a
flavoring agent.
[0010] It was found that the following process resulted in a particularly
advantageous artificial sweetener using dextrose, maltodextrin, aspartame and
a
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flavoring agent as ingredients. First, the dextrose and flavoring agent are
milled
together. It is preferred to use an agglomerated dextrose such as UnidexT"~
available
from Corn Products International of Bedford Park, Illinois, which maintains
the flavoring
agent in a suitably dispersed condition within the blend. The UnidexT""
product is
available as porous spherical particles which exhibit good free flowing, and
low dusting
characteristics and are highly compressible. The preferred form of flavoring
is in the
form of an encapsulated spray dried powder such as FlavolopeT"", manufactured
and
distributed by Ungerer & Co. of New Jersey. Suitable flavors incorporated into
the
flavoring agent include natural and artificial flavors such as cinnamon,
peach, lemon,
French vanilla, hazelnut, and mocha. Other flavors, as well as combinations of
flavors,
can also be utilized as flavoring agents in the present invention.
[0011] Once the flavoring is milled with the agglomerated dextrose,
maltodextrin and
aspartame are dry blended with the mixture. The maltodextrin used should be in
agglomerated form because it has better mixing characteristics. The
composition is
then milled so that it is passable through a 30 mesh screen. The composition
is dry
packaged into suitable packing configuration. The composition may have the
following
ingredients:
Dextrose 60% -
90%
Maltodextrin0-5%
Aspartame 3-8%
Flavoring 1 % -
31 %.
[0012] Preferably, the artificial sweetener has the following composition:
Dextrose 60%
Maltodextrin5%
Aspartame 4%
Flavoring 31
%.
[0013] In this formulation, the dextrose acts as a carrier and a bulking
agent.
Dextrose is particularly suitable because it is sweet, provides flowability,
and has no
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caloric value (i.e., is non-nutritive). The dextrose is also preferred because
it binds well
with the flavoring agent due to holes in its molecular structure that readily
accept the
flavoring agent and provides a better mouth feel. Of course, other
ingredients) may be
used instead of dextrose, such as fiber polydextrose, or gum Arabic or other
similar
ingredient that are substantially non-nutritive.
(0014] The maltodextrin is also sweet, although it is less sweet than
dextrose, and is
also used as a bulking agent. It may be omitted, or may be replaced with
another
bulking agent, such as polydextrose, gum Arabic or another low- or non-
nutritive
ingredient. The flavoring agent can be added to this ingredient instead of, or
in addition
to the dextrose.
[0015] The aspartame is the sweet agent. The flavoring agent may be commingled
with the sweet agent instead of the carrier or bulking agent, however since
there is less
of this agent than the other ingredients, it may not be too practical to use
it as the carrier
for the flavoring agent as well. Other sweet ingredients that may be used
include
sucralose, acesulfame-K or saccharine.
(0016] Additional ingredients may also be added as required. For example, it
may
be desirable to add a drying agent such as silicon dioxide, tricalcium
phosphate, etc.
[0017] The resulting artificial sweetener is desirable because it has
sweetness
characteristics similar to sugar, it pourable and spoonable and is suitable
for various
types of packaging such as one-gram paper envelopes, shaker canisters, and
bulk
containers. Moreover, the flavoring agent provides additional tastes
characteristics
that render the sweetener suitable for various products without the need to
add
additional flavors.
[0018] The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the
detailed specification. Thus, the appended claims are intended to cover all
such
features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirits
and scope of
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the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will
readily occur to
those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the
exact construction
and operation illustrated and described. Accordingly, all appropriate
modifications and
equivalents may be included within the scope of the invention.
[0019] Although this invention has been illustrated by reference to specific
embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
changes and
modifications may be made which clearly fall within the scope of the
invention. The
invention is intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of
the appended
claims.
