阅读说明：本技术 含甜菊叶的糖果组合物 (Sweet stevia leaf-containing candy composition ) 是由 莫晓群 许嘉华 夏晓虎 于 2019-02-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了一种用于糖果产品的包含甜菊叶的糖果组合物。在公开的制剂的某些非限制性实施方式中,含有甜菊叶的糖果组合物表现出极少或没有苦味和类糖味道。(A candy composition comprising stevia rebaudiana leaves for use in a candy product is disclosed. In certain non-limiting embodiments of the disclosed formulations, the stevia leaf-containing confectionery compositions exhibit little or no bitter and sugar-like tastes.)

1. A confectionery composition comprising stevia leaves, wherein the stevia leaves are present in an amount of about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of the confectionery composition.

2. The confectionery composition of claim 1, wherein the stevia rebaudiana leaves are present in an amount of about 1.0% to about 2.5% by weight of the confectionery composition.

3. The candy composition according to claim 1, wherein the stevia rebaudiana leaves are ground stevia rebaudiana leaves.

4. The confectionary composition of claim 1 further comprising a sweetener selected from the group consisting of: aspartame, neotame, edmuntin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, saccharin sodium, glycyrrhizin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, neotame, luo han guo, brazzein, monatin, thaumatin, alitame, saccharin and salts thereof, cyclamic acid and salts thereof, monellin, and combinations thereof.

5. The confectionary composition of claim 1 wherein the confectionary is a chewing gum.

6. The confectionery composition of claim 1 wherein the confectionery is a chewing confectionery.

7. The confectionery composition of claim 1, wherein the stevia rebaudiana leaves are lyophilized.

8. The candy composition of claim 1, wherein the stevia rebaudiana leaves have an average particle size of about 0.5mm to about 2 mm.

9. The candy composition according to claim 1, wherein the stevia rebaudiana leaves have an average particle size of about 0.01 to 0.5 mm.

10. The candy composition according to claim 1, wherein the stevia rebaudiana leaves have an average particle size of about 0.03 to 0.15 mm.

11. A method of making chewing gum, the method comprising:

(a) mixing ground stevia leaves and a flavoring agent to form a mixture; and

(b) the mixture composition is then combined with gum base and bulking agents to form a chewing gum.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein ground stevia leaves are dried at 37 ℃ for at least 1 day prior to mixing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein ground stevia leaves are dried by microwave drying, infrared drying, radio frequency drying, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the ground stevia rebaudiana leaves are dried by lyophilization.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein ground stevia rebaudiana leaves are maintained at a temperature of about 40 ℃ to about 60 ℃ for about 15 minutes to 1 hour prior to mixing.

16. A chewing gum composition containing dried stevia rebaudiana leaves, wherein the chewing gum contains less than 1.0% by weight of synthetic antioxidants selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, ascorbyl palmitate, di-t-butylhydroquinone, or combinations thereof.

17. The chewing gum composition of claim 16 wherein the chewing gum contains less than 0.05% by weight synthetic antioxidants.

18. The chewing gum composition of claim 16 wherein the chewing gum does not contain synthetic antioxidants.

19. The chewing gum composition of claim 16 wherein the dried stevia rebaudiana leaves are lyophilized.

20. The chewing gum composition of claim 16 wherein the chewing gum contains about 1.0% by weight dried stevia rebaudiana leaves.

Technical Field

The disclosed subject matter relates to enhanced sweetener formulations, particularly for confectionery products. In particular, the disclosure relates to compositions comprising stevia rebaudiana leaves. The compositions can include a combination of compounds useful for enhancing sweetness attributes, such as sweetness duration and reduced bitterness, in oral compositions.

Background

Steviol glycoside is a natural sweet component of Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni) (Asteraceae) a plant widely cultivated in south America, especially in the northeast part of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Stevia leaves contain nutrients including nine essential amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine, serine, isoleucine, alanine, proline, tyrosine and methionine), six fatty acids (palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid), water-soluble vitamins (folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B2), phytochemicals (aureuparin (austenovillin), beta-carotene, dulcoside (dulcoside), nilcin, rebaudioside (rebaudi) oxide, riboflavin, steviol, stevioside and thiamine), secondary metabolites (tannins, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, sterols and triterpenes, reducing compounds and anthraquinones) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc).

Stevia produces sweet glycosides, all of which have a steviol skeleton, commonly referred to as steviol glycosides. The major steviol glycosides present in stevia rebaudiana leaves are stevioside, rebaudiosides (a to F), steviolbioside and isosteviol. Among them, stevioside (4-13% w/w), rebaudioside A (2-4% w/w) and rebaudioside C (1-2% w/w) are the most abundant steviol glycosides present in plant leaves. These complexes are concentrated in stevia leaves and their amount depends on the plant genotype and environmental conditions. Steviol glycosides are precursors to many natural high-potency sweeteners. The glycosides are extracted from the leaves of the stevia (stevia rebaudiana) plant. The leaves of Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni) have been used by yerba mate to sweeten beverages for centuries.

Rebaudioside a is described as 200 times sweeter than sugar. Unlike common sugars, steviol glycosides do not affect blood glucose when consumed. Thus, these compounds are popular as low carbohydrate substitutes and sugar substitutes in confectionery products such as chewing gum. These high potency sweeteners do not add calories to the final product or cause tooth decay. Steviol glycosides are obtained by extraction from stevia (stevia rebaudiana) plants and are subsequently incorporated into different food products.

However, these steviol glycosides obtained by different extraction methods exhibit increased bitter or metallic taste when applied to food products. This increase in bitterness may be associated with a faster reduction in sweetness, extraction methods used to isolate the glycosides, or because the glycosides are used alone or in different combinations that provide bitterness. Thus, there is a need for improved stevia sweetener compositions that can be incorporated into confectionery products, including stevia leaves with improved taste, reduced bitterness, and stability over time. The subject matter of the present disclosure addresses this problem.

Disclosure of Invention

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to confectionery compositions comprising ground stevia rebaudiana leaves. It has been found that the addition of stevia leaves to confectionery compositions such as chewing gum provides sweetness without the bitter taste present when using steviol glycosides or stevioside extracts.

In certain aspects, the present disclosure provides a confectionery composition comprising stevia rebaudiana leaves and at least one sweetener.

In certain embodiments, the confectionery composition is a chewing gum or a chewing confectionery. In other embodiments, the confectionery composition is a fruit stick. The confectionery composition may include stevia leaves in an amount of about 0.5 wt% to about 10 wt%. For example, but not limited to, the confectionery composition may include stevia leaves in an amount of about 0.5 wt% to about 5 wt%. In certain embodiments, the stevia rebaudiana leaves may be ground stevia rebaudiana leaves. In certain embodiments, the confectionery composition may include a sweetener in an amount from about 10 wt% to about 99 wt%. For example, but not limited to, the sweetener is present in an amount of about 35 wt% to about 75 wt%. In other embodiments, the sweetener composition is present in the chewing gum in an amount from about 0.001 wt% to about 10 wt% or from about 0.01 wt% to about 5 wt%.

In other embodiments, the confectionery composition comprises stevia rebaudiana leaves and nutritive sweeteners selected from the group consisting of: sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, fructose, galactose, corn syrup solids, and the like.

In certain embodiments, the confectionery composition further comprises a non-nutritive sweetener selected from the group consisting of aspartame, neotame, edmuntame (advatame), sucralose, acesulfame potassium (Acek), sodium saccharin, glycyrrhizin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC), neotame, luo han guo, brazzein, monatin (monatin), thaumatin, alitame, saccharin and salts thereof, cyclamic acid and salts thereof, monellin (monellin), steviol glycosides, e.g., Reb a, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D, Reb M, and combinations thereof.

Without being bound by any particular theory, applicants believe that incorporating stevia rebaudiana leaves in a chewing gum composition may also improve the stability of the chewing gum composition by delaying gum oxidation. For example, chewing gum containing 1 wt% of the leaf reduces the rate of oxidation of the chewing gum, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for antioxidants in the chewing gum composition. In certain embodiments, the chewing gum composition comprising dried stevia leaves contains about less than 1.0%, less than 0.05%, or less than 0.01% by weight of the chewing gum composition of synthetic antioxidants, or is free of synthetic antioxidants. The selected antioxidant may be selected from butyl hydroxyanisole, butyl hydroxytoluene, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, ascorbyl palmitate, di-t-butylhydroquinone, or combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the chewing gum contains stevia leaves that have been lyophilized. In another embodiment, the chewing gum contains about 0.05 wt%, about 1.0 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 2.0 wt%, or about 2.5 wt% dried stevia leaves.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present application in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the application will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the application. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present application. Those skilled in the art will also recognize such equivalent constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the application, which is set forth in the following claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present application, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description.

Drawings

FIGS. 1a-1d provide graphical representations of the sweetness, flavor intensity, bitterness, and off-flavor attributes of chewing gum containing 1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, and 5 wt% stevia leaves by weight of the chewing gum.

Figure 2 provides a graphical representation of the antioxidant effect of chewing gum containing 1 wt% stevia rebaudiana leaves by weight of the chewing gum. Accelerated oxidation tests were performed on RapidOxy from Anton Paar following ASTM D7525. The oxidation rate is expressed as the oxygen pressure drop as a function of time.

Detailed Description

As noted above, there remains a need in the art to date for compositions that provide sweetness attributes to different confectionery products without negative taste attributes, such as bitterness. The presently disclosed subject matter addresses this need by using stevia leaves in confectionery compositions that have sweetness without adding bitterness.

1. Definition of

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meaning in the art, in the context of the presently disclosed subject matter, and the particular context in which each term is used. In order to provide additional guidance to the practitioner in describing the compositions and methods of the presently disclosed subject matter and how to make and use them, certain terms are discussed below or elsewhere in this specification.

As used herein, the use of the term "without a specific number of referents when used in conjunction with the term" comprising "in the claims and/or the specification can mean" one, "but it is also consistent with the meaning of" one or more, "" at least one, "and" one or more than one. Furthermore, the terms "having," "including," "containing," and "containing" are interchangeable and those skilled in the art will recognize that such terms are open-ended terms.

The terms "about" or "approximately" mean that the particular value is within an acceptable error range as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, which also depends in part on how the value is measured or determined, i.e., the limitations of the measurement system. For example, "about" can mean within 3 or more than 3 standard deviations, according to practice in the art. Alternatively, "about" may mean a range of up to 20%, preferably up to 10%, more preferably up to 5% and more preferably still up to 1% of a given value.

As used herein, "food product" or "food product composition" includes digestible products including, but not limited to, human foods, animal or pet foods, pharmaceutical products, and consumer products.

As used herein, the term "confectionery product" refers to a confectionery or dessert edible composition. Confectionery products may include, but are not limited to, cakes, biscuits, pies, candies (hard and soft), fruit bars, oat bars, compressed mints, chewing gum, gelatin, ice cream, popsicles, jams, jellies, chocolate, fudge (fudge), fondants, licorice, toffee, and combinations thereof.

As used herein, the term "chewing gum" refers to a flavored substance intended to be chewed. As used herein, the term also includes bubble gum and confectionery products including chewing gum. In certain embodiments, the chewing gum is in the form of, but not limited to, tablets, sticks, solid spheres, hollow spheres, cut and packaged, and pellets or pillows. All percentages used herein are weight percentages unless otherwise indicated. As used herein, a chewing gum base includes a gum base non-filler portion and a gum base filler portion.

As used herein, "admixing" refers to the process of mixing or adding the sweetener formulation to the finished product or mixing the sweetener formulation with some or all of the components of the product, or some combination of these steps, during the formation of the product. When used in the context of blending, the term "product" refers to a product or any of its components. The blending step may comprise a process selected from the group consisting of: the method can include the steps of adding the sweetener formulation to the product, spraying the sweetener formulation onto the product, coating the sweetener formulation onto the product, suspending the sweetener formulation within the product, coating the sweetener formulation onto the product, adhering the sweetener formulation to the product, encapsulating the product with the sweetener formulation, mixing the sweetener formulation with the product, and any combination thereof. The sweetener formulation may be a liquid, a dry powder, a spray, a paste, a suspension, and any combination thereof.

As used herein, the term "Stevia leaf" refers to the leaves, stems and other plant material from the aerial parts of the Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni) plant.

As used herein, "ground stevia leaves" refers to stevia leaves that have been dried and processed into fine particles by any suitable means. The ground stevia leaves may resemble a powder, or may be composed of larger, generally uniform particles. For example, stevia leaves may be ground using a Turkish grinder (Turkish Grind), and the grinding may be repeated one or more times. In certain embodiments, the ground stevia rebaudiana leaves may be ground to an average particle size of about 0.5mm to about 1.0mm, 1.0mm to about 1.5mm, and 1.5mm to about 2mm, or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, stevia rebaudiana leaves have a particle size of less than 0.5 mm. In another embodiment, stevia rebaudiana leaves have a particle size of about 0.01-0.5mm, about 0.01-0.03mm, or about 0.03-0.15 mm. In a preferred embodiment, very fine particles of about 0.01 to 0.03mm can be used for color applications.

As used herein, "crude stevia leaves" refers to stevia leaves that have not been processed to reduce size or have been processed into larger flakes. For example, the crude stevia leaves can be prepared by chopping, cutting, chopping, crushing or otherwise breaking stevia leaves into smaller pieces. The crude stevia leaves may have a generally uniform particle size or may have different particle sizes. The particle size of the crude stevia leaves is generally larger than the particle size of ground stevia leaves. In certain embodiments, the average particle size of the crude stevia rebaudiana leaves may be from about 2.0mm to about 5.0mm, 5.0mm to about 10.0mm, 10.0mm to about 15.0mm, 15.0mm to about 20.0mm, 20.0mm to about 25.0mm, 25.0mm to about 30.0 mm. As used herein, "stevia rebaudiana leaf" may be considered as one of the crude stevia rebaudiana leaves.

As used herein, "sweetener" refers to bulk sweeteners and high potency sweeteners. The sweetener may be nutritive or non-nutritive.

As used herein, "high potency sweetener" refers to a sweetener having a sweetness intensity that is at least 30 times greater than the sweetness intensity of sucrose.

As used herein, "bulk sweetener" refers to sweeteners that can provide "bulk" or texture to food, particularly in confections and chewing gum. The main classes of compounds used as bulk sweeteners are sugars (e.g. sucrose, lactose) and sugar alcohols (e.g. sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol), and they provide 2.4kcal/g (compared to 4kcal/g for sucrose). Other bulk sweeteners may also be used, including but not limited to tagatose, polysaccharides, and fiber.

2. Confectionery compositions

The confectionery compositions of the presently disclosed subject matter may be used in different edible compositions including confectionery products such as chewing gums and chewing candies. In certain embodiments, the stevia leaves impart sweetness to the confectionery composition with little or no bitterness. In certain embodiments of the present application, the stevia rebaudiana leaves are added to the confectionery composition in an amount effective to provide a desired sweetness.

In certain embodiments, stevia rebaudiana leaves of the presently disclosed subject matter may be incorporated into confectionery compositions including, but not limited to, cakes, cookies, pies, confectioneries (hard and soft), compressed mints, chewing gum, gelatin, ice cream, popsicles, jams, jellies, chocolate, fudge, fondant, licorice, toffee, and combinations thereof.

2.1 chewing Gum

Preferably, the flavor composition of the presently disclosed subject matter is incorporated into chewing gum. In certain embodiments, the chewing gum may be in the form of tablets, sticks, solid spheres, hollow spheres, cut and packaged, and pellets or pillows. Suitable methods of preparing chewing gum and other components that may be incorporated into chewing gum are described by way of example in U.S. patent No. 8,557,323, U.S. publication nos. 2013/0156885 and 2005/0202118, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In general, chewing gum compositions typically comprise a chewable gum base portion that is substantially water-free and water-insoluble, a water-soluble bulk portion, and generally water-insoluble flavoring agents such as the flavoring compositions of the present disclosure. During chewing, over time, the water soluble portion dissipates with a portion of the flavoring agent. The gum base portion remains in the mouth throughout the chew.

The insoluble gum base typically comprises any combination of elastomers, elastomer solvents, plasticizers, waxes, emulsifiers, tackifiers, lipids, fillers (including inorganic fillers), and other optional ingredients such as colorants and antioxidants. Plastic polymers that behave somewhat like plasticizers, such as polyvinyl acetate, may also be included. Other plastic polymers that may be used include polyvinyl laurate, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone. As embodied herein, the insoluble gum base may comprise between about 5 wt-% to about 95 wt-% of the chewing gum. More preferably, the insoluble gum base comprises between about 10 wt-% to about 50 wt-% of the chewing gum and most preferably between about 20 wt-% to about 35 wt-% of the chewing gum.

Elastomers may include polyisobutylene, butyl rubber, (isobutylene-isoprene copolymer), polyisoprene, polyvinyl acetate, styrene butadiene rubber, vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymer, poly-dl-lactide, glycolic acid-lactide copolymer, and styrene butadiene rubber. The elastomer may comprise one or more natural elastomers, for example natural rubbers such as smoked or liquid latex and guayule, as well as natural gums such as jelutong (jelutong), lechi caspi (lechi caspi), perrilo (perrilo), massaranduba balata (massaranduba balata), massaranduba cholla (massaranduba cholocolate), nisseolus pello (nispero), russela butyl rubber (rosindinha), chicle latex (chicle), maleic hand hang kang (gutta hang kang) or mixtures thereof. Elastomer solvents are typically resins such as terpene resins and rosin esters.

Plasticizers, sometimes also referred to as softeners, are typically fats and oils, including tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and cocoa butter. Commonly used waxes include paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax and natural waxes such as beeswax and carnauba wax. Microcrystalline waxes, particularly those with a high degree of crystallinity, may be considered as thickening agents (bodying agents) or texture modifiers.

The tackifier, if present, may comprise a natural rosin ester such as glycerol ester of partially hydrogenated rosin, glycerol ester of polymerized rosin, glycerol ester of partially dimerized rosin, glycerol ester of rosin, pentaerythritol ester of partially hydrogenated rosin, methyl ester of rosin and methyl ester of partially hydrogenated rosin, pentaerythritol ester of rosin, or mixtures thereof; synthetic resins such as terpene resins derived from alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and/or d-limonene, polyvinyl acetate resins, polyethylene and poly-dl-lactide.

If present, the lipids may include mono-, and/or di-, and/or triglycerides of alkanoic acids or mono-olefinic acids or polyunsaturated fatty acids having a carbon chain length of C4 to C24 or mixtures thereof, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated mono-, and/or di-, and/or triglycerides of mono-and polyunsaturated fatty acids, acetylated glycerides of fatty acids, lecithin, paraffin wax, and microcrystalline and natural waxes such as beeswax and carnauba wax.

The gum base also typically includes a filler component. The filler component may be calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, talc, dicalcium phosphate, and the like. The filler may constitute between about 5 wt% and about 60 wt% of the gum base. Preferably, the filler comprises about 5 wt% to about 50 wt% of the gum base. In certain embodiments, fillers include, but are not limited to, magnesium and calcium carbonate, ground limestone and silicates such as magnesium and aluminum silicate, clay, alumina, talc, and titanium oxide, mono-, di-, and tricalcium phosphate, cellulosic polymers such as ethyl cellulose polymers, methyl cellulose polymers, and lignocellulosic polymers, or mixtures thereof, and combinations thereof.

The gum base may also contain softeners including glycerin, lecithin, glycerol monostearate, and glycerol triacetate. In certain embodiments, humectants are added to chewing gum in order to optimize chewability and mouthfeel of the chewing gum. In addition, aqueous sweetener solutions such as those containing sorbitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, corn syrup, and combinations thereof may be used as softeners and binding agents in chewing gum formulations. The gum base may also contain optional ingredients such as antioxidants, colorants, and emulsifiers. The present invention contemplates the use of any commercially acceptable gum base.

The water soluble portion of the chewing gum may include softeners, sweeteners, flavoring agents (including sensates such as physiological cooling agents, warming agents, and tingling agents), high intensity sweeteners, colorants, humectants, latexes, acidulants, binders, fillers, cooling agents, and combinations thereof. The sweetener often functions as a bulking agent in the chewing gum. Bulk sweeteners may include both sugars and sugar alcohols. The bulking agent typically comprises about 5% to about 95% of the chewing gum composition.

Stevia rebaudiana leaves of the present invention can be used in sugar-containing and sugar-free chewing gum formulations. Sugar sweeteners generally include sugar-containing components well known in the chewing gum art including, but not limited to, sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrin, allose, isomaltulose, dried invert sugar, fructose, galactose, corn syrup solids, and the like, alone or in any combination. Sugarless sweeteners include components having sweetening characteristics but which are free of known sugars and include, but are not limited to, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol, and the like, alone or in any combination.

In certain embodiments, the chewing gum ingredients may include one or more high intensity sweeteners. As used herein, the term "high intensity sweetener" refers to any substance that is at least twenty times sweeter than sucrose. Such sweeteners include, but are not limited to, saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, alitame, neotame, lo han guo, brazzein, monatin, thaumatin, monellin, peptide-based sweeteners, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, steviol glycosides (including purified stevia extracts such as rebaudioside a, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside M), glycyrrhizin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, and mixtures thereof. In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the high intensity sweetener is encapsulated. Such encapsulation may be produced by granulation, agglomeration, extrusion and grinding, spray drying, fluid bed encapsulation or any other known method. In certain embodiments, suitable sugar alcohols include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol, and the like, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the sugarless chewing gum comprises a combination of a high intensity sweetener and a sugar alcohol, such as aspartame and sorbitol. The amount used depends on the potency of the sweetener, the extent and effectiveness of encapsulation (if any), and the desired organoleptic characteristics of the product. Generally, the sweetener may be used in the chewing gum composition at a level of as low as 0.005 wt%, or as low as 0.05 wt%, or as low as 0.2 wt%, or as high as 5 wt%, or as high as 3 wt%, or as high as 2 wt%. In certain embodiments, the high intensity sweetener is present at a chewing gum ingredient level of about 0.1 wt% to about 1.0 wt%.

In certain embodiments, the flavor composition of the present disclosure comprising peppermint leaf and mint flavors may be added to chewing gum in an amount of about 0.01% to about 20% by weight of the chewing gum, or about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of the chewing gum, or about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the chewing gum, and preferably about 0.2% to about 10% by weight, or about 0.5% to about 7% by weight of the total weight of the chewing gum.

In certain embodiments, various other flavoring agents may also be used, if desired. The flavoring agent may include essential oils, synthetic flavors, or mixtures thereof, including but not limited to oils derived from plants and fruits such as citrus oils, fruit essences, clove oil, anise, and the like. Artificial flavors and components may also be used. Natural and artificial flavoring agents may be combined in any sensorially acceptable form. The general class of flavoring agents includes sensates, a compound that imparts a physiological sensation in the mouth, such as cooling agents, warming agents, and tingling agents. Examples of cooling agents include menthol, WS-23, WS-3, WS-5, isopulegol, esters of menthol such as menthyl succinate, menthyl lactate, menthyl glutarate, and the like. Warming and stinging agents include capsaicin, piperine, jambu, and chrysanthenol (spilanthol).

Optional ingredients such as colorants, whitening agents, antioxidants, emulsifiers, and pharmaceutical agents may also be added as a separate component of the chewing gum composition or as part of the gum base. In certain embodiments, colorants and whiteners may include, but are not limited to, FD & C-type dyes and lakes, fruit and vegetable extracts, titanium dioxide, or mixtures thereof. In certain embodiments, the antioxidants may include, but are not limited to, beta-carotene, acidulants (e.g., vitamin C), alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), beta-, gamma-, and-tocopherol, propyl gallate, Butyl Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butyl Hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). In particular embodiments, the gum base includes optional minor amounts (about one percent or less) of miscellaneous ingredients such as colorants, antioxidants, and the like.

2.1.1 preparation method

As embodied herein, a method of manufacturing chewing gum according to the present disclosure is by sequentially adding the various chewing gum ingredients to any commercially available mixer known in the art. When the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the gum is released from the mixer and formed into the desired form by, for example, rolling into sheets and cutting into sticks, extruding into chunks, or casting into pellets.

Typically, the ingredients are mixed by first melting the gum base and adding it to a running mixer. The gum base may also be melted in the mixer itself. Colorants or emulsifiers may also be added at this point, as well as syrups and a portion of the bulking agent. Other portions of the extender may then be added to the mixer. The flavoring agent may be added with the last portion of the bulking agent. The flavor composition may then be added. The entire mixing process typically takes five to twenty minutes, but longer mixing times may sometimes be required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations of the above-described process may be followed.

In certain embodiments, stevia rebaudiana leaves may be pre-mixed prior to addition to the chewing gum mixture. For example, stevia leaves and flavors, as well as other components (if present) in the flavor composition, may be mixed together prior to addition to the chewing gum mixture. In certain embodiments, the stevia rebaudiana leaves may be pre-mixed with bulk sweeteners prior to addition to the chewing gum mixture. In another embodiment, the stevia leaves may be air dried for at least 1 day, at least 5 days, at least 7 days, at least 10 days, at least 14 days, or more. Additionally or alternatively, the stevia rebaudiana leaves may be heat treated or lyophilized prior to incorporation into a chewing gum. In other embodiments, the air dried leaves added to the chewing gum have a moisture content of about less than 10%, less than 5%, and less than 1%.

As embodied herein, the chewing gum composition may be coated if formed into pellets or balls. The coating is initially present as a liquid syrup comprising from about 30% to about 80% or 85% sugar or sugar alcohol, and from about 15% or 20% to about 70% solvent such as water. Typically, the coating process is carried out in a conventional panning apparatus. The gum center tablets to be coated are placed in a panning apparatus to form a moving mass.

The material or syrup that ultimately forms the coating is applied or distributed over the chewing gum center tablets. Flavoring agents may be added before, during, and after the syrup is applied to the gum center. Once the coating has been dried to form a hard surface, additional syrup additions may be made to produce multiple coatings or multiple coatings.

During panning, the syrup is added to the chewing gum center tablets at a temperature ranging from about 100 ° f to about 240 ° f. Preferably, the syrup temperature is about 140 ° f to about 200 ° f. Most preferably, the syrup temperature should be kept constant throughout the process to prevent the polyol in the syrup from crystallizing. The syrup may be mixed with, sprayed, poured, or added to the chewing gum center tablets in any way known to those skilled in the art.

In another embodiment, the soft coating is formed by adding a powder coating after the liquid coating. The powder coating may comprise natural carbohydrate gum hydrolysates, maltodextrin, gelatin, cellulose derivatives, starch, modified starch, sugars, sugar alcohols, natural carbohydrate gums and fillers such as talc and calcium carbonate.

Each component of the coating on the chewing gum center may be applied in a single layer or in multiple layers. Typically, multiple layers are obtained by applying a single coating, allowing the layers to dry, and then repeating this process. The amount of solids added by each coating step depends primarily on the concentration of the coating syrup. Any number of coatings may be applied to the chewing gum center tablet. Preferably, no more than about 75 coatings are applied to the chewing gum center. More preferably, less than about 60 coatings are applied, and most preferably, from about 30 to about 60 coatings are applied. In any event, the present invention contemplates applying a sufficient amount of syrup to produce a coated chewing gum product comprising from about 10% to about 65% coating. Preferably, the final product comprises from about 20% to about 50% of the coating.

One skilled in the art will recognize that multiple pre-measured aliquots of coating syrup may be applied to the gum center in order to achieve multiple coatings. However, it is contemplated that the volume of the syrup aliquot applied to the gum center may vary throughout the coating process.

Once the syrup coating is applied to the gum center, the syrup is dried in an inert medium. A preferred drying medium comprises air. Preferably, the forced dry air contacts the wet syrup coating at a temperature in the range of about 70 ° f to about 110 ° f. More preferably, the drying air is at a temperature in the range of about 80F to about 100F. The present invention also contemplates the drying air having a relative humidity of less than about 15%. Preferably, the relative humidity of the drying air is less than about 8%.

The drying air may be passed over and mixed with the syrup coated gum center in any manner known in the art. Preferably, dry air is blown over and around the center of the syrup coated gum. If the flavoring agent is applied after the syrup coating has dried, the present invention contemplates drying the flavoring agent with or without a drying medium.

In certain embodiments, once the chewing gum is manufactured, the chewing gum is maintained in a low moisture and/or low light environment. In certain embodiments, the water activity of the chewing gum is maintained below about 0.85. In certain embodiments, water activity may be mitigated by using a small amount of glycerin in the chewing gum. For example, but not by way of limitation, in certain embodiments, the chewing gum may comprise about 0.25 wt% to about 1 wt%, and preferably about 0.5 wt% to about 0.7 wt% glycerin. In certain embodiments, the amount of glycerin may be further reduced by including additional syrup and/or sweetener components. Additionally or alternatively, the chewing gum may be suitably packaged as known in the art to reduce exposure to moisture and/or light. As embodied herein, reducing exposure to moisture and/or light can improve flavor and color stability of chewing gum and increase the shelf life of the chewing gum.

2.2 chewing sweets

Chewy candies that have a resilient texture that is appealing to consumers are opaque and are typically hard. When the chewing candy is chewed, it does not break apart, but slowly dissolves in the mouth. These smaller pieces of candy impart flavor and sweetness as they dissolve in the mouth into a pliable chewy mass. A chewing candy is a food product formed by the steps of: a) mixing sweetener solutions (typically sugar and corn syrup), (b) creating a hydrated suspension containing water and a gelling agent, (c) combining the sweetener solution and the gelling agent, (d) then adding the fat mixture after whipping the sweetener mixture and gelling agent together, and aerating the formed product by forming the mass into finished pieces.

Conventional chewy confectionery products are typically prepared with sweetener bulking agents and texturising agents. Commonly used sweeteners are sucrose and glucose syrup or corn syrup. Fats are also commonly added to such chewing confectionery products to achieve desired chewing characteristics. The chewing confectionery product is cohesive under normal room conditions. The chewing confectionery product may also include water, foaming agents, humectants, artificial and natural sweeteners, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, acids, essential oils, artificial and natural flavoring agents, coloring agents, fruit juices, vegetable juices, proteins, and other additives commonly used in the manufacture of chewing confectionery products, as desired. Chewing confectionery products are often referred to as chewing gums, toffees, fudge or toffees.

Conventional chewy confectionery products typically contain gelatin, starch, egg white (albumin) or a combination thereof as a texturing agent so that they have the chewy texture desired for the product. Gelatin is the most popular texturing agent because it provides a long-lasting cohesive chew for chewing the confectionery product; however, there are several drawbacks to using gelatin in confectionery products. Food grade gelatin is obtained from bovine or porcine raw materials and is therefore undesirable for some people following certain dietary restrictions. Furthermore, because gelatin is a protein, it is highly sensitive to temperatures and/or acids that may cause degradation or deterioration.

Each texturing agent has its own advantages. One advantage of using starch as a texturing agent in such products is that it allows control of the viscosity of the material during production, which helps control the subsequent cold flow during storage. An advantage of using gelatin as a texturing agent in a chewing confectionery product is that gelatin provides a unique chewing texture to the confectionery ranging from soft to very hard depending on the amount of gelatin used. The use of egg white as a texturing agent helps to stabilise the incorporated air so as to keep the bubbles from collapsing-this provides a light and airy texture to the product.

The use of egg white and gelatin as texturant agents in the confectionery industry is undesirable because both are animal derived ingredients. Furthermore, since gelatin and egg white are proteins, they are sensitive to temperatures and/or acids that may cause degradation or deterioration. On the other hand, the use of starch eliminates the use of animal products in chewing confectionery products, but it tends to have a low tendency to gel and is less useful when used alone to produce the desired chewing texture in chewing confectionery products, and therefore gelatin is most often added to achieve the desired chewing characteristics and texture. Gelatin tends to increase the elastic, rubbery texture.

Many sweetener bulking agents other than sucrose may also be used. Other sugars that may be used are glucose, maltose, lactose, galactose, tagatose, allose, isomaltulose, various types of glucose syrups such as corn, rice, high fructose and psicose syrups. For low calorie products, alditols or polyols such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt, erythritol and various types of Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates (HSH) may be used. The sweetener may be added to the chewing confectionery product in an amount of about 10-99% by weight of the chewing confectionery product. The fat may be added to the chewing confectionery product in an amount of about 0.5-25% by weight of the chewing confectionery product.

For low calorie products, alditols or polyols such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt, erythritol and various types of Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates (HSH) may be used. The sweetener may be added to the chewing confectionery product in an amount of about 10-99% by weight and the allulose may be added in an amount of about 10-99% by weight of the chewing confectionery product. The fat may be added to the chewing confectionery product in an amount of about 0.5-25% by weight of the chewing confectionery product.

3. Stevia rebaudiana leaf

The confectionery compositions of the present disclosure include stevia leaves. The stevia leaves may be from a single type of stevia plant or may be a combination of two or more types of plants. For purposes of example and not limitation, a suitable type of stevia plant is from the genus s. In certain embodiments, the stevia rebaudiana leaves are from the Bertoni plant.

In certain embodiments, the stevia leaves may be dried. In certain embodiments, the stevia leaves are lyophilized. In other embodiments, the stevia leaves are oven dried, drum dried, or any other drying method. In a preferred embodiment, the stevia leaves are dried by lyophilization, microwave drying, infrared drying, and radio frequency drying. In another preferred embodiment, the stevia leaves are dried to a moisture content of about less than 10%, about less than 5%, or about less than 1%.

The stevia leaves may be incorporated into the confectionery composition in any form including large leaves, coarse or ground. In certain embodiments, dried stevia leaves are ground prior to incorporation into the flavor composition. In other embodiments, the stevia leaves are ground prior to incorporation into the bulk sweetener. In certain embodiments, dried stevia leaves are ground to an average particle size of less than 3mm or less than 2mm prior to incorporation into a chewing gum base. In certain embodiments, dried stevia leaves are ground to an average particle size of about 1mm to about 2mm prior to incorporation into the melted chewing gum composition. In certain embodiments, the ground stevia leaves may be ground to an average particle size of about 0.5mm to about 1.0mm, 1.0mm to about 1.5mm, 1.5mm to about 2.0mm, or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, the stevia rebaudiana leaves have a particle size of less than 0.5 mm. In another embodiment, the stevia rebaudiana leaves have a particle size of about 0.01mm-0.5mm, about 0.01mm-0.03mm, or about 0.03mm-0.15 mm. In a preferred embodiment, very fine particles of about 0.01mm to 0.03mm can be used for color applications.

As embodied herein, the stevia leaves can be present in the confectionery composition in an amount of less than 90 wt%, less than 75 wt%, less than 60 wt%, less than 50 wt%, less than 40 wt%, less than 30 wt%, less than 20 wt%, or less than 10 wt%. In certain embodiments, the stevia leaves may be present in the confectionery composition in an amount of from about 1 wt% to about 90 wt%, or from about 15 wt% to about 80 wt%, or from about 20 wt% to about 70 wt%, or from about 25 wt% to about 60 wt%.

3.1 other sweeteners

The present application relates to confectionery compositions comprising stevia rebaudiana leaves, which may comprise at least one, two, three, or more sweetener compounds. In certain embodiments, the sweetener may be used as a bulk sweetener, or as a high potency sweetener. In another embodiment, the sweetener is used to increase the longevity of the sweetness profile of an edible composition, such as chewing gum. In other embodiments, the sweetener provides a long-lasting sweet sensory attribute in a chewing gum composition without an increase in bitter or metallic taste. In certain embodiments, the sweetener is encapsulated.

In other non-limiting embodiments, the confectionery composition may further comprise one, two, three, four, five or more sweetener compounds, such as aspartame, neotame, edmuntin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium (Ace-k), sodium saccharin, glycyrrhizin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC), lo han guo, brazzein, monatin, thaumatin, alitame, saccharin and salts thereof, cyclamic acid and salts thereof, monellin, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the sweetener formulation comprises at least one steviol glycoside. In certain embodiments, the sweetener formulation comprises Reb a. The sweetener compounds are typically released from the chewing gum quickly during chewing. In certain embodiments, the chewing gum formation process may include modifying one or more sweetener compounds to delay sweetener release by encapsulation or agglomeration prior to adding the sweetener compounds to the chewing gum formulation.

In other embodiments, the sweetener compounds may be coated with an encapsulating agent applied by spray drying, fluid bed coating, fiber spinning or coacervation techniques, agglomeration, and immobilization or capture/absorption, extrusion, plus additional encapsulation or agglomeration.

In certain embodiments, encapsulation modifies the release of the sweetener formulation from the chewing gum by modifying the solubility or dissolution rate. Any standard technique for providing partial or complete encapsulation of the combination of sweetener formulations may be used. In certain embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter, encapsulation techniques include, but are not limited to, spray drying, fiber spinning, agglomeration, spray cooling, fluid bed coating, extrusion, immobilization or capture/absorption, and coacervation. In certain embodiments, encapsulation techniques that provide partial encapsulation or complete encapsulation may be used.

In certain embodiments, suitable encapsulating materials may include, but are not limited to, water soluble sugars or sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, isomalt, glucose, erythritol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated corn syrup, and mixtures thereof. In certain embodiments, the encapsulating material may also include polysaccharides such as starch, modified starch, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), sodium alginate, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin.

In certain embodiments, suitable encapsulating agents for delaying the release of the sweetener compound include, but are not limited to, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacetic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, ethylcellulose, polyvinyl acetate phthalate, methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate, and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the encapsulating agent embodiments for delayed release include, but are not limited to, polysaccharides and modified polysaccharides. Suitable polysaccharides may be derived from plants, algae, microorganisms, and animals. Non-limiting examples of plant-derived polysaccharides include cellulose; gum extrudates such as gum arabic, karaya gum, ghatti gum, tragacanth gum and mesquite gum; polysaccharides of plant origin such as pectin, arabinoxylan, xyloglucan, arabinogalactan, xylan, arabinosan and cellulose; seed-derived polysaccharides such as guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, xyloglucan, arabinoxylan and cereal beta-glucan; and tuber-derived gums such as konjac mannan. Non-limiting examples of algal-derived polysaccharides include agar, carrageenan, red alginate, and alginate. Non-limiting examples of microbial fermentation product polysaccharides include xanthan gum, curdlan, dextran, gellan gum, pullulan, scleroglucan (scleroglucan), alternan, elsinan and levan. Non-limiting examples of polysaccharides from animal sources include chitin and chitosan. Non-limiting examples of modified polysaccharides include substituted starches (starch acetate, octenyl succinyl starch), modified celluloses such as methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. Other suitable embodiments of the encapsulating agent for delayed release include, but are not limited to, proteins such as gelatin, zein, casein, soy protein, pea protein, whey protein, and combinations thereof.

4. Other Compounds

In certain embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter, the flavor composition can further comprise one or more additional compounds. For example, in certain embodiments, the flavor composition may further comprise magnolia bark extract. As embodied herein, and without limitation, the magnolia bark extract may be present in the flavor composition in an amount of less than 25 wt%, less than 10 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 3 wt%, or less than 2 wt%. For example, but not by way of limitation, the ratio between the amount of magnolia bark extract and the amount of mint leaf in the flavor composition may range from about 0.01:1 to about 1:1, or from about 0.015:1 to about 0.5:1, or from about 0.02:1 to about 0.1:1, or from about 0.025:1 to about 0.05:1, or from about 0.03:1 to about 0.4: 1.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, other compounds include, but are not limited to, cooling compounds and other compounds that add additional flavor characteristics. The flavoring agent may be used in liquid or solid form. Flavoring agents may include artificial or natural flavoring agents known in the art, such as synthetic flavoring oils, natural flavoring spices and/or oils, oleoresins, extracts derived from plants, leaves, flowers, fruits, fruit flavors, and the like, or combinations thereof. Non-limiting representative flavoring agents include oils such as cinnamon oil, clove oil, bay oil, anise oil, eucalyptus oil, thyme oil, cedar leaf oil, nutmeg oil, allspice oil, sage oil, nutmeg, bitter almond oil, cassia oil, and citrus oils (including lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit), vanilla, fruit essences (including apple, pear, peach, grape, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plum, pineapple, apricot, banana, melon, tropical fruit, mango, mangosteen, pomegranate, papaya, cantaloupe, and the like), or combinations thereof.

Artificial flavoring components are also contemplated by the present invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that natural and artificial flavoring agents may be combined in any organoleptically acceptable mixture. The presently disclosed subject matter contemplates all such flavors and mixtures.