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US 2002/0058012 A1Published application
Chewing gums and method of manufacturing the same
OwnerMichael Anthony Folaninventor
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OwnerMichael Anthony Folaninventor
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Chewing gums are obtained by entrapping a liquid within a mass of gum, blast freezing the gum and the entrapped liquid, and increasing the temperature of the gum to just below the melting point of the liquid, causing the liquid crystals to anneal. By manipulating the size and/or morphology of the frozen liquid crystals, one can thereby manipulate the internal structure of the gum. Optionally, the liquid can contain a drug in solution. If the solvent is then removed, the drug is left in the interstices of the gum. The rate of release of the drug from the gum is thus determined by the distribution of the drug within the gum arising from the annealing step. This method of manufacturing a chewing gum avoids the use of elevated temperatures, and is thus particularly suitable for entrapping thermolabile substances.
A method of manufacturing a chewing gum comprising the steps of:
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step b) comprises blast freezing the gum to a solid state.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the gum is frozen to a temperature which is more than 10° C. below the freezing point of said liquid.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein step c) comprises regulating the temperature of the gum while maintaining the liquid in frozen form.
A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of:
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the gum is mechanically compressed during steps b) and c).
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid added in step a) contains a thermolabile substance.
A method according to any preceding claim, where the liquid added in step a) comprises a homeopathic preparation.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid added in step a) contains one or more purified constituents of egg.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid added in step a) contains one or more constituents having biological activity characteristic of human saliva.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid added in step a) contains a herbal extract.
A chewing gum comprising a gum matrix having spaces within the gum matrix, characterised in that the size and/or morphology of the spaces is determined during the manufacture of the gum by a chance in the size and/or morphology of crystals of an entrapped frozen liquid present during manufacture, and in that the spaces have a plate-like or sheet-like shape due to the formation and growth of ice crystals during manufacture.
A method of manufacturing a chewing gum, substantially as hereinbefore described and exemplified.
A chewing gum substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.