US 5,665,406 A · Polyol coated chewing gum having improved shelf life and method of making

Abstract

A dual composition hard coated chewing gum is provided, which exhibits improved long-term shelf stability under storage conditions involving constant exposure to the moisture contained in the atmosphere. The dual composition hard coated chewing gum is ideally suited for pellet chewing gum having pellet shapes which cannot be easily protected from atmospheric moisture by packaging. The dual composition hard coated chewing gum has a gum center which includes a gum base, a bulk portion and one or more flavoring agents. The dual composition hard coated chewing gum also has an outer coating which includes layers which contain from about 50 to about 100% of at least two different polyols preferably lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose or erythritol. A method of preparing the dual composition hard coated chewing gum is also provided. Lactitol, maltitol or hydrogenated isomaltulose is preferably applied first, and the covered with an erythritol coating.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A dual composition hard coated chewing gum, comprising:

from about 35 to about 90 weight percent of a gum center, including a bulk portion, a chewing gum base and one or more flavoring agents;
and
from about 10 to about 65 weight percent of an outer coating containing from about 50 to about 100%, by weight, of at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol, and which comprises at least two sequential layers, each containing about 50 to about 100%, by weight, of at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
the layers constituting an inner component of the outer coating and an outer component of the outer coating;
the layers of the inner component of the outer coating comprising at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
the layers of the outer component of the outer coating comprising at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
and wherein
at least one polyol contained in the outer component of the outer coating is not present in the inner component of the outer coating.

5 more elements

A dual composition hard coated chewing gum, comprising:

from about 35 to about 90 weight percent of a gum center which includes a gum base, a bulk portion, and one or more flavoring agents;
and
from about 10 to about 65 weight percent of a dual composition hard outer coating which includes sequentially added layers, each layer comprising
(a) from about 50 to 100% lactitol by weight;
(b) from about 50 to 100% maltitol by weight;
(c) from about 50 to 100% hydrogenated isomaltulose by weight;
or
(d) from about 50 to 100% erythritol by weight;
the layers constituting an inner component of the outer coating and an outer component of the outer coating;
the layers of the inner component of the outer coating comprising at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
the layers of the outer component of the outer coating comprising at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
and wherein
at least one polyol contained in the outer component of the outer coating is not present in the inner component of the outer coating.

10 more elements

A method of forming a dual composition hard coated chewing gum, comprising the steps of:

(1) forming a gum center including a bulk portion, a chewing gum base portion and one or more flavoring agents;
(2) forming a first polyol liquid coating syrup comprising solvent and from about 50% to the point of saturation of at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol, by weight of the polyol liquid coating syrup;
(3) applying a plurality of coats of the first polyol liquid coating syrup to the gum center;
(4) forming a second polyol liquid coating syrup comprising solvent and from about 50% to the point of saturation of at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol, by weight of the polyol liquid coating syrup, the composition of the second polyol liquid coating syrup containing a different polyol than the composition of the first polyol liquid coating syrup;
(5) applying a plurality of coats of the second polyol liquid coating syrup to the gum center which has been coated with the first polyol;
and
(6) evaporating the solvent from each coat of the first and second polyol liquid coating syrups, prior to applying the next coat;
wherein
the number of coats applied in steps (3) and (5) being sufficient to provide a coating of from about 10 to about 65 weight percent of the total coated chewing gum product, constituting an inner component of the outer coating and an outer component of the outer coating;
the layers of the inner component of the outer coating comprise at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
the layers of the outer component of the outer coating comprise at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of lactitol, maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol;
and wherein
at least one polyol contained in the outer component of the outer coating is not present in the inner component of the outer coating.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Polyol coated chewing gum having improved shelf life and method of making

Life of this patent

Polyol coated chewing gum having improved shelf life and method of making

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28