Low density chewing gum product and method of making the same
AssigneeTopps Chewing Gum, Incorporated
InventorsDouglas P. Fritz, Ronald J. Elias
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention is directed to an improved low density chewing gum or bubble gum product and method of making the same, characterized in that the same defines a matrix encompassing a network of gas filled cells, the density of the product being in the neighborhood of about 0.5. The invention further relates to a method of making said product which includes the steps of heating an essentially conventional gum formulation to a temperature at which the mass is a viscous liquid, whipping the mass, pouring the mass into molds, rapidly reducing the temperature of the mass while subjecting the same to vacuum and, after curing, removing the same from the molds.
Claims21
The method of manufacturing a low density chewing gum product which comprises the steps of:
- heating a chewing gum composition to cause the same to liquefy;
- gasifying said molten gum mass to homogeneously introduce thereinto a gaseous component and reduce the density of said mass;
- introducing said gasified mass into a mold;
- introducing said gasified and molten mass in said mold to a vacuum environment to cause said mass to expand;
- and
- maintaining said mass in said expanded condition in said vacuum environment until the same becomes shape-retaining at ambient conditions of temperature and pressure.
The method of manufacturing a low density chewing gum product having extended shelf life and a resilient initial chew characteristic which comprises the steps of:
- providing a chewing gum composition including gum base, sweetener and glycerine, said glycerine being present in the amount of from about 2% to 10% by weight;
- heating said composition to liquefy the same;
- gasifying said molten gum base with an inert gas to homogeneously introduce thereinto a gaseous component and reduce the density of said mass;
- introducing said gasified molten mass into a mold to cause said mass to expand and assume configurations of said mold;
- and
- maintaining said mass in said expanded condition in said mold until the unbound moisture content of said mass is reduced to below 1% and said mass becomes shape-retaining at ambient conditions of temperature and pressure.
The method of manufacturing a low density chewing gum product which comprises the steps of providing a heat meltable chewing gum composition, heating said chewing gum composition to cause the same to liquefy, gasifying said molten chewing gum composition with an inert gas homogeneously to introduce therein a gaseous component and reduce the density of said mass, introducing said gasified mass into a mold, causing said mold incorporating said gasified molten mass to be subject to a vacuum environment to cause said mass to expand and assume configurations of said mold, and maintaining said mass in said expanded condition in said vacuum environment until the same becomes shape retaining in said configuration at ambient conditions of temperature and pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.