US99/29, 742, filed December 14,1999, designating the United States; 4) U. S.

Patent Application Serial No. 09/591,256, filed June 9,2000; 5) U. S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/654,464, filed September 1, 2000; and 6) U. S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/653,669, filed September 1, 2000. Each of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to methods for producing coated chewing gum products. More particularly, the invention relates to producing coated chewing gum products containing a neutralizing antacid other than calcium carbonate and which is added to the chewing gum coating such that it will have a controlled fast release from chewing gum for maximum effectiveness.

Antacids are usually taken on an"as needed"basis to relieve gastrointestinal disturbances mostly due to dietary indiscretions. These antacids are generally insoluble inorganic salts such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or aluminum hydroxide.

Antacids readily neutralize acids in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and are commonly available in or as antacid tablets. Some typical consumer antacid products are: TUMS, which contains calcium carbonate; MILK of MAGNESIA, which contains magnesium hydroxide, and MAALOX PLUS, which contains a combination of aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. Calcium carbonate is perhaps the most frequently used antacid. However, some individuals may not wish to ingest large doses of calcium. Calcium carbonate is also not the most effective antacid on a weight basis.

Coated chewing gum products are well known. Many prior art patents disclose chewing gum products coated with sugar sweeteners or polyol sweeteners. U. S. Patent No. 4,317,838, for example, discloses a method of applying a sugarless coating to chewing gum. The coating may include calcium carbonate, talc or magnesium trisilicate as an anti-sticking agent. Synthetic sweeteners, including many different high-intensity sweeteners, are also suggested for use in the coating.

Another area of interest is the use of medicaments in chewing gum. In some instances, it is contemplated that an active medicament that is added to the chewing gum may be readily released. An active medicament may be added to the gum coating, which is a water soluble matrix, such that during the chewing period, the medicament may be released quickly, resulting in a fast release. This would allow a chewing gum coating to be a carrier for an active medicament, specifically an antacid with these fast release characteristics. For example, U. S. Patent No.

4,867,989 discloses a chewing gum composition coated with an outer shell containing layers of a mineral compound and a coating syrup, but this patent states that the mineral compound must be added separately and not dispersed in the syrup used to make the coating.

Previously, antacids have been added to chewing gum and in a chewing gum coating, but some products have not been totally consumer acceptable. The large amount of active antacid needed for effectiveness does not lend itself to giving a good tasting product. Also, the presence of sugar in the antacid chewing gum or coated on the chewing gum of some products is not consumer acceptable because sugar causes dental caries.

A sugarless coated chewing gum produced having calcium carbonate as an antacid in a sorbitol base coating is currently being sold under the trademark CHOOZ@. It has been found that by adding the antacid to a gum coating, the antacid is quickly released from the chewing gum into saliva and into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Relief from GI disturbances is quickly obtained, but does not last long.

It would be beneficial if antacids other than calcium carbonate could be administered in a form that was fast acting. It would be preferable to have not only fast relief, but relief of a longer duration. Thus, there is a need for a way to make coated chewing gum products that use an antacid other than calcium carbonate, and preferably provide antacid relief for a long duration, as well as being acceptable to the consumer from taste and other standpoints.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been found that antacids, other than calcium carbonate, can be added as a suspension to the coating syrup to thus be included in the gum coating. These antacids will quickly dissipate to provide fast relief.

In a first aspect, the invention is a method of making antacid coated chewing gum products comprising the steps of : providing chewing gum cores; providing a coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener and a neutralizing antacid suspended in the coating syrup, the coating syrup containing from about 25% to about 50% by weight of the solids in the syrup of a neutralizing antacid selected from the group consisting of aluminum salts, bismuth salts, magnesium salts, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, sodium potassium tartrate, tricalcium phosphate and mixtures thereof; and applying the coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a coating on the cores.

In a preferred embodiment, the antacid has a particle size of greater than about 3 microns, which makes the antacid have a more prolonged period of relief.

In a second aspect, the invention is a method of delivering an antacid to an individual that provides relief in the gastrointestinal tract comprising the steps of : providing chewing gum cores; providing a coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener and a neutralizing antacid suspended in the coating syrup, the coating syrup containing from about 25% to about 50% by weight of the solids in the syrup of a neutralizing antacid selected from the group consisting of aluminum salts, bismuth salts, magnesium salts, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, sodium potassium tartrate, tricalcium phosphate and mixtures thereof; applying the coating syrup to the cores and drying the syrup to produce a coating on the cores; and chewing the antacid coated chewing gum product in the mouth and swallowing the coating, the coating dispersing and dissolving to provide an antacid in the gastrointestinal tract.

Preferred embodiments of the invention include the addition of acid blockers such as histamine H2-receptor antagonists. These agents inhibit or block the secretion of gastric acid by binding to a specific histamine receptor on the parietal (acid secreting) cell membranes located in the stomach. These agents, which may be added to the chewing gum center or to the antacid coating, are used for extended relief of gastrointestinal disturbances and extended relief from stomach acidity. Examples of histamine H2-receptor antagonists are cimetidine, ranitidine and its active salt, nizatidine and famotidine, with famotidine being preferred.

It is believed that the neutralizing antacids other than calcium carbonate, when used in a coating made with a syrup having the antacid dispersed therein, will give a fast release of the antacid. In the preferred embodiment, providing a larger particle size antacid in a chewing gum coating makes it more effective and longer lasting. Thus, an advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is administering an antacid to an individual that has a larger particle size than is typically administered orally, giving extended relief while still achieving the effect of fast relief.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As used herein, the term"chewing gum"includes bubble gum and all other types of chewing gum. Unless specified otherwise, all percentages are weight percentages.

As mentioned above, products made by the present invention will include an antacid. The antacid will preferably be included as part of the coating syrup used to prepare a coated chewing gum product. A typical syrup may contain a polyol, suspended antacid, a binding agent, a high-intensity sweetener and a whitener.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the antacid is contained in the coating of chewing gum products, which allows a chewing gum coating to be a carrier for the antacid. Accordingly, as the chewing gum is chewed, the active antacid in the gum coating is released into the saliva and ingested to give relief from gastrointestinal disturbances in the GI tract.

Antacid materials are given in the Merck Index or the Code of Federal Regulations. Such antacids, other than calcium carbonate, are suggested for use in this invention. These are listed below: Aluminum salts Alexitol sodium (aluminum sodium carbonate hexitol complex) Almagate (carbonic acid, aluminum magnesium complex) aluminum hydroxide aluminum magnesium silicate aluminum phosphate basic aluminum carbonate gel (aluminum hydroxide-aluminum carbonate gel) Sucralfate (basic aluminum sucrose sulfate complex) dihydroxyaluminum aminoacetate dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate Magaldrate (aluminum magnesium hydroxide monohydrate) Bismuth salts bismuth aluminate bismuth phosphate bismuth carbonate bismuth subcarbonate bismuth subgallate bismuth subnitrate Magnesium salts magnesium carbonate magnesium hydroxide magnesium oxide magnesium peroxide magnesium phosphate, tribasic magnesium silicates (magnesium trisilicate) magnesium aluminosilicates Other Salts of Bicarbonate, Citrate, Phospate, and Tartrate sodium bicarbonate potassium bicarbonate potassium citrate sodium potassium tartrate tricalcium phosphate The preferred antacids are generally carbonate or hydroxide salts of calcium, magnesium or aluminum, and are generally very water insoluble. When these materials are mixed with acids in the GI tract, the acids are readily neutralized to give relief from GI disturbances. Neutralizing antacids, which are insoluble inorganic salts, are known to neutralize stomach acidity very quickly. As a result, relief from gastrointestinal distress is fast and effective, but does not last long, possibly up to about 30 minutes. An acid blocker, when taken in combination with the antacid, will start to be effective after about 30 minutes, and be most effective after about 3-6 hours, and may last up to about 9-12 hours.

Examples of acid blockers are histamine H2-receptor antagonists which include cimetidine, used in an over the counter (OTC) preparation called TAGAMET; famotidine, used in an OTC preparation called PEPCID; the hydrochloride salt of rantidine, used in ZANTAC; and nizatidine, used in AXID.

Some other types of acid blockers are called gastric proton pump inhibitors. These include omeprazole, used in PRILOSEC, and rabeprazole. All of these have been used for the treatment of digestive disorders such as gastritis, dyspepsia, gastric hyperacidity, heartburn, gastric oppression and peptic ulcer.

Acid blockers may be added to a gum center, to a gum coating, or both the gum center and coating. A water-soluble acid blocker may be added to the gum center and release during chewing. Other acid blockers that may be water insoluble may need to be treated so as to allow their release from the chewing gum. These treatments may involve encapsulation, agglomeration, or entrapment of the acid blocker in a water-soluble matrix. Without a water-soluble matrix, the acid blocker may have an affinity for the gum base and not release for its intended effect.

Acid blockers may also be added to a chewing gum coating. If water soluble, the acid blocker may be added to the sugar or polyol syrup and applied throughout the coating process. Water insoluble acid blockers may be dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, possibly flavors, and applied at various times during the coating process. Preferably, the acid blocker may be added as a powder after it has been preblended with a dry charge material. This could allow more control of the level of the acid blocker used in the chewing gum product and may reduce any instability problems of the acid blocker that may be associated with moisture.

A dry pretreated acid blocker may be used that has been treated to give maximum stability. This pretreatment may include encapsulation, agglomeration, or entrapment of the acid blocker in a water soluble or water insoluble matrix necessary to give maximum stability of the acid blocker. This matrix may include materials that may control the release of the acid blockers in the stomach for maximum effectiveness. Stability of the acid blocker will be very important since the gum coating will also contain an effective amount of neutralizing antacid other than calcium carbonate, that will increase the pH of the coating, and which may effect the overall stability of the acid blocker.

The dosage level of acid blocker used in a preferred coated chewing gum product will vary depending on the acid blocker used. In general, the level of acid blocker will be about 1 mg to about 200 mg either in the gum center or preferably in a gum coating. This level of acid blocker is used in addition to a high level of antacid in the gum coating. The level of neutralizing antacid in the gum coating will be about 250 to 800 mg in 1 or 2 pieces of gum product having a weight of about 1.5 to 3 grams.

For antacid chewing gum products, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate and aluminum hydroxide are the most preferred antacid materials. The materials must be used in a gum coating to be most effective. Chewing gum bases that contain calcium carbonate or other antacids do not readily release the antacid during chewing. Since antacids are very water insoluble, they release from gum base either very slowly or over very long extended chewing. As a result, the materials mixed into the gum base are not effective as an antacid. Generally, when an antacid is added to a gum formulation separate from the gum base, the antacid becomes intimately mixed with the base during chewing and also releases slowly. However, when an antacid is used in the coating of the chewing gum, it does become quickly available in the oral cavity and is ingested to be an effective antacid.

Generally, suspension coatings with antacids for an antacid gum may be made with sugar. Sugar with its naturally sweet taste masks some of the off-taste due to the use of high levels of antacid. With the advent of new coating technologies using less sweet sugarless polyols instead of sugar, the sweet taste of the coating is significantly reduced. In some coatings where xylitol is used, it is sufficiently sweet as a coating, but other polyols such as maltitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, sorbitol, or erythritol, are not. When the coating contains high levels of antacids, the polyols generally lack sufficient sweetness to give a good tasting product. As a result, high-intensity sweeteners are preferably added to the coating containing antacids to give a high-quality, consumer-acceptable product.

For coated antacid chewing gum type products, the high level of antacid in the coating modifies the taste quality and gum texture. The addition of high- intensity sweeteners to the gum coating improves the taste of the finished product.

This also occurs in sugar coated gums as well as polyol coated gums, so aspartame or another high-intensity sweeteners may also be added to sugar coated gums with antacids. If the high-intensity sweeter is subject to degradation, it may preferably by added as part of a different coating syrup from the coating syrup containing the antacid, as disclosed in U. S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/591,256 filled June 9,2000, hereby incorporated by reference.

Since many of the neutralizing antacids are very water insoluble, the reaction rate of the salts with aqueous acids is dependant on the surface area of the neutralizing agent. Neutralizing agents with a large surface area will react faster with acids than those with a small surface area. Many smaller size particles with a combined large surface area neutralize acids faster than fewer large particles with a combined small surface area. However, larger particle sizes of antacids give longer lasting relief from stomach acidity. When the antacid particles are suspended in a coating syrup and applied as a gum coating, the particle sizes of antacid remains essentially the same throughout the process.

In studies performed using calcium carbonate but directed to determining the effect of particle size, analysis of a precipitated calcium carbonate having a median particle size of about 5 microns was done before and after being applied as a coating. Before coating, the sample was analyzed and found to have a median particle size of 5.1 microns. After preparing the sample of calcium carbonate in a suspension and applying it to a gum pellet for an antacid gum product, the particle size of the calcium carbonate was 4.9 microns.

It has been determined that a calcium carbonate having a median particle size of about 3 microns or greater is sufficient to give longer lasting relief of excess stomach activity. Other neutralizing antacids with a particle size of about 3 microns or greater should have a similar effect of giving long lasting relief from stomach acidity. Preferably the median particle size of the neutralizing antacid in the coating will be between about 3 microns and about 75 microns, and more preferably between about 3 microns and about 15 microns.

In terms of water solubility, larger particles have a tendency to dissolve more slowly in water, and as the neutralizing antacid dissolves, it neutralizes stomach acidity. Smaller particles of the neutralizing antacid could react faster, and larger particles would react slower.

In addition to the particle size of the antacid, different crystal structures have an effect on the rate of dissolution and the rate of neutralization. For example, natural forms of calcium carbonate such as Calcite, Aragonite, and Vaterite are highly crystalline forms of calcium carbonate and could dissolve more slowly. Marble, Dolomite, and even Mollusk shells are made of amorphous forms of calcium carbonate, and could dissolve faster. Precipitated calcium carbonate, which is purified from natural sources, is a"micro"crystalline form and would dissolve quickly and neutralizes acidity quickly. Neutralizing antacids other than calcium carbonate, for use in the present invention, may have similar forms and react similarly.

In general, a chewing gum composition typically comprises a water-soluble bulk portion, a water-insoluble chewable gum base portion and typically water-insoluble flavoring agents, the water-soluble portion dissipates with a portion of the flavoring agent over a period of time during chewing. The gum base portion is retained in the mouth throughout the chew.

The insoluble gum base generally comprises elastomers, resins, fats and oils, softeners and inorganic fillers. The gum base may or may not include wax.

The insoluble gum base can constitute approximately 5% to about 95% by weight of the chewing gum, more commonly the gum base comprises about 10% to about 50% of the gum, and in some preferred embodiments approximately 25% to about 35% by weight, of the chewing gum. In pellet gum center formulations, the level of insoluble gum base may be much higher.

In a preferred embodiment, the chewing gum base of the present invention contains about 20% to about 60% by weight synthetic elastomer, about 0% to about 30% by weight natural elastomer, about 5% to about 55% by weight elastomer plasticizer, about 4% to about 35% by weight filler, about 5% to about 35% by weight softener, and optional minor amounts (about 1% or less by weight) of miscellaneous ingredients such as colorants, antioxidants, etc.

Synthetic elastomers may include, but are not limited to, polyisobutylene with GPC weight average molecular weights of about 10,000 to about 95,000, isobutylene-isoprene copolymer (butyl elastomer), styrene-butadiene, copolymers having styrene-butadiene ratios of about 1: 3 to about 3: 1, polyvinyl acetate having GPC weight average molecular weights of about 2,000 to about 90,000, polyisoprene, polyethylene, vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers having vinyl laurate contents of about 5% to about 50% by weight of the copolymer, and combinations thereof. Preferred ranges are: 50,000 to 80,000 GPC weight average molecular weight for polyisobutylene; 1: 1 to 1: 3 bound styrene-butadiene for styrene-budadiene; 10,000 to 65,000 GPC weight average molecular weight for polyvinyl acetate, with the higher molecular weight polyvinyl acetates typically used in bubble gum base; and a vinyl laurate content of 10-45% for vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate.

Natural elastomers may include natural rubber such as smoked or liquid latex and guayule, as well as natural gums such as jelutong, lechi caspi, perillo, sorva, massaranduba balata, massaranduba chocolate, nispero, rosindinha, chicle, gutta hang kang, and combinations thereof. The preferred synthetic elastomer and natural elastomer concentrations vary depending on whether the chewing gum in which the base is used is adhesive or conventional, bubble gum or regular gum, as discussed below. Preferred natural elastomers include jelutong, chicle, sorva and massaranduba balata.

Elastomer plasticizers may include, but are not limited to, natural rosin esters such as glycerol esters or partially hydrogenated rosin, glycerol esters of polymerized rosin, glycerol esters of partially dimerized rosin, glycerol esters of rosin, pentaerythritol esters of partially hydrogenated rosin, methyl and partially hydrogenated methyl esters of rosin, pentaerythritol esters of rosin; synthetics such as terpene resins derived from alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and/or d-limonene; and any suitable combinations of the foregoing. The preferred elastomer plasticizers will also vary depending on the specific application, and on the type of elastomer which is used.

Fillers/texturizers may include magnesium and calcium carbonate, ground limestone, silicate types such as magnesium and aluminum silicate, clay, alumina, talc, titanium oxide, mono-, di-and tri-calcium phosphate, cellulose polymers, such as wood, and combinations thereof.

Softeners/emulsifiers may include tallow, hydrogenated tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, cocoa butter, glycerol monostearate, glycerol triacetate, lecithin, mono-, di-and triglycerides, acetylated monoglycerides, fatty acids (e. g. stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids), and combinations thereof Colorants and whiteners may include FD&C-type dyes and lakes, fruit and vegetable extracts, titanium dioxide, and combinations thereof.

The base may or may not include wax. An example of a wax-free gum base is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 5,286,500, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In addition to a water-insoluble gum base portion, a typical chewing gum composition includes a water-soluble bulk portion and one or more flavoring agents. The water-soluble portion can include bulk sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, flavoring agents, softeners, emulsifiers, colors, acidulants, fillers, antioxidants, and other components that provide desired attributes.

Softeners are added to the chewing gum in order to optimize the chewability and mouth feel of the gum. The softeners, which are also known as plasticizers and plasticizing agents, generally constitute between approximately 0.5% to about 15% by weight of the chewing gum. The softeners may include glycerin, lecithin, and combinations thereof. Aqueous sweetener solutions such as those containing sorbitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, corn syrup and combinations thereof, may also be used as softeners and binding agents in chewing gum.

Bulk sweeteners include both sugar and sugarless components. Bulk sweeteners typically constitute about 5% to about 95% by weight of the chewing gum, more typically, about 20% to about 80% by weight, and more commonly, about 30% to about 60% by weight of the gum. Sugar sweeteners generally include saccharide-containing components commonly known in the chewing gum art, including but not limited to, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, fructose, galactose, corn syrup solids, and the like, alone or in combination.

Sugarless sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, maltitol, and the like, alone or in combination.

High-intensity artificial sweeteners can also be used, alone or in combination, with the above. Preferred sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sucralose, aspartame, N-substituted APM derivatives such as neotame, salts of acesulfame, alitame, saccharin and its salts, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, thaumatin, monellin, and the like, alone or in combination. In order to provide longer lasting sweetness and flavor perception, it may be desirable to encapsulate or otherwise control the release of at least a portion of the artificial sweetener. Such techniques as wet granulation, wax granulation, spray drying, spray chilling, fluid bed coating, coacervation, and fiber extrusion may be used to achieve the desired release characteristics.

Combinations of sugar and/or sugarless sweeteners may be used in chewing gum. Additionally, the softener may also provide additional sweetness such as with aqueous sugar or alditol solutions.

If a low calorie gum is desired, a low caloric bulking agent can be used.

Examples of low caloric bulking agents include: polydextrose ; oligofructose (Raftilose); inulin (Raftilin); fructooligosaccharides (NutraFlora); palatinose oligosaccharide; guar gum hydrolysate (BeneFiber); or indigestible dextrin (Fibersol). However, other low calorie bulking agents can be used.

A variety of flavoring agents can also be used, if desired. The flavor can be used in amounts of about 0.1 to about 15 weight percent of the gum, and preferably, about 0.2% to about 5% by weight. Flavoring agents 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, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, other mint oils, clove oil, oil of wintergreen, anise and the like.

Artificial flavoring agents and components may also be used. Natural and artificial flavoring agents may be combined in any sensorially acceptable fashion.

In general, chewing gum is manufactured by sequentially adding the various chewing gum ingredients to a commercially available mixer known in the art. After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the gum mass is discharged from the mixer and shaped into the desired form, such as rolling into sheets and cutting into sticks, extruding into chunks or casting into pellets, which are then coated or panned.

Generally, the ingredients are mixed by first melting the gum base and adding it to the running mixer. The base may also be melted in the mixer itself.

Color or emulsifiers may also be added at this time. A softener such as glycerin may also be added at this time, along with syrup and a portion of the bulking agent. Further parts of the bulking agent are added to the mixer. Flavoring agents are typically added with the final portion of the bulking agent. Other optional ingredients are added to the batch in a typical fashion, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The entire mixing procedure typically takes from five to fifteen minutes, but longer mixing times may sometimes be required. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations of the above described procedure may be followed.

After the ingredients are mixed, the gum mass is formed into pellets or balls. Pellet or ball gum is prepared as conventional chewing gum but formed into pellets that are pillow shaped, or into balls. The pellets/balls are used as cores for the coated product. The cores can be sugar or polyol coated or panned by conventional panning techniques to make a unique coated pellet gum. The weight of the coating may be about 20% to about 50% of the weight of the finished product, but may be as much as 75% of the total gum product.

Conventional panning procedures generally coat with sucrose, but recent advances in panning have allowed use of other carbohydrate materials to be used in place of sucrose. Some of these materials include, but are not limited to, sugars such as dextrose, maltose, isomaltulose, and tagatose, or sugarless bulk sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose, erythritol, maltitol, and other new polyols (also referred to as alditols) or combinations thereof. The coating is preferably sugarless. A preferred coating comprises about 30% to about 75% maltitol. These materials may be blended with panning modifiers including, but not limited to, gum arabic, gum talha, maltodextrins, corn syrup, gelatin, cellulose type materials like carboxymethyl cellulose or hydroxymethyl cellulose, starch and modified starches, vegetables gums like alginates, locust bean gum, guar gum, and gum tragacanth. Antitack agents may also be added as panning modifiers, which allow the use of a variety of carbohydrates and sugar alcohols.

Flavors may also be added with the sugar or sugarless coating to yield unique product characteristics.

As noted above, the coating may contain ingredients such as flavoring agents, as well as dispersing agents, coloring agents, film formers and binding agents. Flavoring agents contemplated by the present invention include those commonly known in the art such as essential oils, synthetic flavors or mixtures thereof, including but not limited to oils derived from plants and fruits such as citrus oils, fruit essences, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, other mint oils, clove oil, oil of wintergreen, anise and the like. The flavoring agents may be used in an amount such that the coating will contain from about 0.2% to about 3% flavoring agent, and preferably from about 0.7% to about 2.0% flavoring agent.

High-intensity sweeteners contemplated for use in the coating include but are not limited to synthetic substances, such as saccharin, thaumatin, alitame, saccharin salts, aspartame, N-substituted APM derivatives such as neotame, sucralose, cyclamic acids and its salts, glycyrrhizin, dihydrochalcones, monellin and acesulfame-K or other salts of acesulfame. The high-intensity sweetener may be added to the coating syrup in an amount such that the coating will contain from about 0. 01% to about 2.0%, and preferably from about 0.1% to about 1.0% high- intensity sweetener. Preferably the high-intensity sweetener is not encapsulated.

Dispersing agents are often added to syrup coatings for the purpose of whitening and tack reduction. Dispersing agents contemplated by the present invention to be employed in the coating syrup include titanium dioxide, talc, or any other antistick compound. Titanium dioxide is a presently preferred dispersing agent of the present invention. The dispersing agent may be added to the coating syrup in amounts such that the coating will contain from about 0.1 % to about 1.0%, and preferably from about 0.3% to about 0.6% of the agent.

When high amounts of antacid is used, the neutralizing antacid is dispersed or suspended in the coating syrup that contains the sugar or polyol, thus making a syrup suspension. Generally, as the level of neutralizing antacid is increased, the level of sugar or polyol is decreased. Levels of antacid used may be as low as 25% of the total solids or as high as 50% of the total solids in the syrup, and more preferably will comprise about 30% to about 40% of the total solids. In preferred embodiments, the antacid will comprise about 25% to about 50% of the gum coating, and more preferably about 30% to about 40% of the gum coating.

Coloring agents are preferably added directly to the syrup suspension in the dye or lake form. Coloring agents contemplated by the present invention include food quality dyes. Film formers preferably added to the syrup include methyl cellulose, gelatins, hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like and combinations thereof. Binding agents may be added either as an initial coating on the chewing gum center or may be added directly into the syrup. Binding agents contemplated by the present invention include gum arabic, gum talha, guar gum, karaya gum, locust bean gum, alginate gums, xanthan gum, arabinogalactan, various cellulose derivatives, vegetable gums, gelatin and mixtures thereof, with gum arabic being preferred.

The binding agent is preferably used at a level of at least about 2% of the coating syrup.

The coating is initially present as a liquid syrup which contains from about 30% to about 80% of the coating ingredients previously described herein, and from about 20% to about 70% of a solvent such as water. In general, the coating process is carried out in a rotating pan. Sugar or sugarless gum center tablets to be coated are placed into the rotating pan to form a moving mass. The material or syrup suspension which will eventually form the coating is applied or distributed over the gum center tablets. Flavoring agents may be added before, during and after applying the syrup suspension to the gum centers. Once the coating has dried to form a hard surface, additional syrup additions can be made to produce a plurality of coatings or multiple layers of hard coating.

In a hard coating panning procedure, syrup is added to the gum center tablets at a temperature range of from about 100°F (38°C) to about 240°F (116°C).

Preferably, the syrup temperature is from about 130°F (54°C) to about 200°F (94°C) throughout the process in order to prevent the polyol or sugar in the syrup suspension from crystallizing. The syrup suspension may be mixed with, sprayed upon, poured over, or added to the gum center tablets in any way known to those skilled in the art.

In general, a plurality of layers is obtained by applying single coats, allowing the layers to dry, and then repeating the process. The amount of solids added by each coating step depends chiefly on the concentration of the coating syrup suspension. Any number of coats may be applied to the gum center tablet.

Preferably, no more than about 75-100 coats are applied to the gum center tablets.

The present invention contemplates applying an amount of syrup sufficient to yield a coated comestible containing about 20% to about 75% coating.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that in order to obtain a plurality of coated layers, a plurality of premeasured aliquots of coating syrup suspension may be applied to the gum center tablets. It is contemplated, however, that the volume of aliquots of syrup suspension applied to the gum center tablets may vary throughout the coating procedure.

Once a coating is applied to the gum center tablets, the present invention contemplates drying the wet syrup suspension in an inert medium. A preferred drying medium comprises air. Preferably, forced drying air contacts the wet syrup coating in a temperature range of from about 70° F (21°C) to about 115°F (46°C).

More preferably, the drying air is in the temperature range of from about 80°F (27°C) to about 100°F (38°C). The invention also contemplates that the drying air possess a relative humidity of less than about 15 percent. Preferably, the relative humidity of the drying air is less than about 8 percent.

The drying air may be passed over and admixed with the syrup coated gum centers in any way commonly known in the art. Preferably, the drying air is blown over and around or through the bed of the syrup coated gum centers at a flow rate, for large scale operations, of about 2800 cubic feet per minute. If lower quantities of material are being processed, or if smaller equipment is used, lower flow rates would be used.

The present invention also contemplates the application of powder material after applying an aliquot of coating syrup to help build up the coating.

In addition to applying a plurality of liquid layers and drying with air, a dry charge material may be added to dry the coating applications. This is especially useful when coating with some sugars and polyols, such as dextrose, sorbitol, maltitol, and hydrogenated isomaltulose. A liquid addition of coating syrup is made in the coating process and after a specified time to allow the liquid to spread evenly over the pieces, a dry powder material is applied. This also helps to dry the liquid coating. This is referred to as dry charging and is commonly used in"soft" panning operations and is commonly known by those skilled in the art. The dry charge material may consist mostly of the sugar or polyol used in the liquid coating, but may also contain other additives such as gums, dispersing agents, and antitack agents. The acid blocker could be preblended with the dry charge material and applied in about 3 to 12 dry charge applications. After a dry charge application, 2 to 4 liquid applications are made to cover the dry charge material.

When flavors are added to a sugar or sugarless coating of pellet gum, the flavors are generally preblended with the coating syrup just prior to applying it to the core or added together to the core in one or more coating applications in a revolving pan containing the cores. Generally, the coating syrup is very hot, about 130°F (54°C) to 200°F (93°C), and the flavor may volatilize if preblended with the coating syrup too early.

The coating syrup is preferably applied to the gum cores as a hot liquid, the sugar or polyol allowed to crystallize, and the coating then dried with warm, dry air. Aliquots of syrups are preferably applied in about 30 to 80 applications to obtain a hard shell coated product having an increased weight gain of about 20% to 75%. A flavor is applied with one, two, three or even four or more of these coating applications. Each time flavor is added, several non-flavored coatings are applied to cover the flavor before the next flavor coat is applied. This reduces volatilization of the flavor during the coating process.

For mint flavors such spearmint, peppermint and wintergreen, some of the flavor components are volatilized, but sufficient flavor remains to give a product having a strong, high impact flavor. Fruit flavors, that may contain esters, are more easily volatilized and may be flammable and/or explosive and therefore, generally these type of fruit flavors are not used in coatings.

Examples The following examples of the invention are provided by way of explanation and illustration.

As noted earlier, the gum formulas can be prepared as sugar or sugarless type formulations and made in a pellet or pillow shape or a round ball or any other shape of product for coating/panning. However, gum formulas for pellet centers are generally adjusted to a higher level of gum base to give a more consumer acceptable size of gum bolus.

Keeping this in mind, if a coating of about 25% of the total product is added to a pellet core as sugar or polyols, the gum base in the pellet core should also be increased by 25%. Likewise, if a 33% coating is applied, the base levels should also be increased by 33%. As a result, gum centers are usually formulated with about 25% to about 50% gum base with a corresponding decrease in the other ingredients except flavor. Even higher levels of base may be used in the present invention since an antacid is added to a pellet coating. Generally flavor levels in the gum increase with the level of gum base as the base tends to bind flavors into the gum and more flavor is needed to give a good flavorful product. However flavors can also be added to the coating to give increased flavor impact and more flavor perception.

Some typical sugarless gum center formulations are shown in Table 1 that can be used as centers that are coated with a coating containing a neutralizing antacid other than calcium carbonate to give an effective antacid.

TABLE 1 (WEIGHT PERCENT) EX. 1 EX. 2 EX. 3 EX. 4 EX. 5 EX. 6 SUGAR 48.0 47.0 46.0 40.0 38.0 35.0 GUM BASE 30.0 35.0 40.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 CORN SYRUP 20.0 15.0 12.0 18.0 14.0 12.0 GLYCERIN 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 PEPPERMINT 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 FLAVOR DEXTROSE MONOHYDRATE---10.0 10.0 10.0 ACID BLOCKER-1. 0--1. 0 1.0 Higher levels of base may be used with a corresponding decrease in other ingredients. Also, other sugars may be used in the gum center.

A neutralizing antacid can then be used in the coating formula on the various pellet gum formulations. The following Table 2 shows some sugar and dextrose type coating formulas: Using a 1 gram center, the levels of antacid in the following tables will give 250-800 mg per 1 or 2 pieces in 1.5-3.0 gram pieces with 33% to 66% coating. The level of antacid blocker in the center is 10 mg for a 1 gram center. Coating formulas below with acid blocker in the center with a 50% coating will give 20 mg of acid blocker in a 2 gram piece. Examples without acid blocker in the center, and only in the coating, will give 10 mg acid blocker in a 2 gram coated gum piece.

TABLE 2 (DRY WEIGHT PERCENT) EX. 7 EX. 8 EX. 9 EX. 10 EX. 11 EX. 12 SUGAR 72.0 64.3 53.. 0 72.3 65.0 55.5 GUM ARABIC 2.0 3.0 4.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 TITANIUM 0.5 1. 0 1.0--- DIOXIDE MAGNESIUM 25.0-20.0 25.0-20.0 CARBONATE MAGNESIUM-30. 0 20.0-30.0 20.0 HYDROXIDE FLAVOR 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.8 0.3 WAX 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 ACESULFAME K 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 ACID BLOCKER-1.0 1.0-1.0- TABLE 2 (Cont'd) (DRY WEIGHT PERCENT) EX. 13 EX. 14 EX. 15 EX. 16 DEXTROSE 72.4 64.2 73.0 55.3 MONOHYDRATE GUM ARABIC 1.5 3.0 1.5 3.0 TITANIUM 0.5 1.0-- DIOXIDE MAGNESIUM 25.0-25.0 30.0 CARBONATE ALUMINUM-30. 0-10.0 HYDROXIDE FLAVOR 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.4 WAX 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 ACESULFAME K 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 ACID BLOCKER-1. 0-1.0 The above formulations are made by making a first coating syrup by dissolving the sugar or dextrose monohydrate and gum arabic in solution at boiling, and suspending titanium dioxide and/or antacid in this syrup. When used, the acid blocker may be dispersed in the coating syrup. Flavor is not mixed with the hot syrup, but added at low levels with one or more coats. Acesulfame K may be added as part of the coating syrup. After the final coats are applied and dried, wax is applied to give a smooth polish.

The above process gives a hard shell coating. Often a dry charge of powdered sugar or dextrose monohydrate may be used. This gives a somewhat softer coating. A dry charge may be used to build up a coating, but then finished with a straight syrup to obtain a hard shell. Table 3 gives these types of formulas.

TABLE 3 (DRY WEIGHT PERCENT) EX. 17 EX. 18 EX. 19 EX. 20 EX. 21 EX. 22 SUGAR* 62.4 50.3--52.4- DEXTROSE--62.2 50.0-40.8 MONOHYDRATE* POWDER SUGAR** 10.0 5.0---- POWDER--10.0 5.0 10.0 5. 0 DEXTROSE** GUM ARABIC 2.0 3.0 2.0 3.0 8.0 8.0 POWDER GUM ARABIC----4 0 4.0 SOLUTION FLAVOR 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.8 WAX 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 MAGNESIUM 25.0 40.0---- CARBONATE MAGNESIUM--25.0 40.0-- HYDROXIDE ALUMINUM----25. 0 40.0 HYDROXIDE ACESULFAME K 0.1 0.1 0.3 0. 3 0.1 0.3 ACID BLOCKER**-1. 0-1.0-1.0 * Powder and/or crystalline sugar along with gum arabic may be blended with antacid or antacid may be suspended in the sugar or dextrose syrup.

** Acid blocker is preblended with powder sugar or dextrose before use.

In Examples 17-20, gum arabic is blended in the sugar/dextrose syrup. In Examples 21 and 22, gum arabic powder is dry charged after a gum arabic solution is applied in the first stages of coating, which is then followed by a hard shell coating of sugar solution or dextrose solution.

Gum arabic may also be used in coating of sugarless gum centers. Like sugar gum centers, the base formulation can be increased in proportion to the amount of coating applied to the center. Generally, the base level may be increased to 30-46% with the other ingredients proportionally reduced. Some typical gum formulas are in Table 4.

TABLE 4 (WEIGHT PERCENT) EX. 23 EX. 24 EX. 25 EX. 26 EX. 27 EX. 28 EX. 29 GUM BASE 35.0 35.0 30.0 35.0 30.0 40.0 35.8 CALCIUM--5.0 15.0 10.0-14.5 CARBONATE) SORBITOL 43.1 43.9 45.0 43.1 49.8 40.0 40.6 MANNITOL 10.0 10, 0 5.0--8.0- GLYCERIN-8.0 2.0 3.0 8.0 2.0 3.0 SORBITOL LIQUID 10.0-10.0--6.0a) 1. 05C) FLAVOR 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 2.5 ENCAPSULATED 0.4 0.4 0.5 1.0 0.2 0.6 2.0 HIGH-INTENSITY SWEETENER LECITHIN-0. 2-0.4-0.4 0.55 ACID BLOCKER-1. 0 1.0--1.0- a) Lycasin brand hydrogenated starch hydrolyzate is used instead of sorbitol liquid. b) This material is base filler and may not release to give an antacid effect. c) Water is added in place of sorbitol liquid.

In the above center formulations, the high-intensity sweetener used is aspartame, acesulfame K, or a combination thereof. However other high-intensity sweeteners such as alitame, salts of acesulfame, cyclamate and its salts, saccharin and its salts, neotame, sucralose, thaumatin, monellin, dihydrochalcones, stevioside, glycyrrhizin and combinations thereof may be used in any of the examples with the level adjusted for sweetness.

Lycasin and other polyols such as maltitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol and hydrogenated isomaltulose may also be used in the gum center formulations at various levels. The texture may be adjusted by varying glycerin or sorbitol liquid.

Sweetness of the center formulation can also be adjusted by varying the level of high-intensity sweetener.

Neutralizing antacids can be used in sugarless coatings with xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol, hydrogenated isomaltulose and erythritol. Gum talha acts as a binding agent, film former and hardener of the coated pellet. Using a 1 gram center, the levels of antacid in the following tables will give 250-800 mg of antacid per 1 or 2 pieces in 1.5-3.0 gram chewing gum product pieces with 33% to 66% coating. The level of acid blocker in the center is 10 mg for a 1 gram center.

Coating formulas below with acid blocker in the center with a 50% coating will give 20 mg of acid blocker in a 2 gram piece. Examples without acid blocker in the center, and only in the coating, will give 10 mg acid blocker in a 2-gram coated gum piece.

TABLE 5 (DRY WEIGHT PERCENT EX. 30 EX. 31 EX. 32 EX. 33 EX. 34 EX. 35 XYLITOL** 69.6 51.1 65.5 49.3 65.2 48.0 GUM ARABIC 4.0 6.0 7.0 8.5 8.5 10.0 FLAVOR 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.5 TITANIUM 0.5 0.9---- DIOXIDE TALC 0. 1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 WAX 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 COLOR*--1.4--- MAGNESIUM 25.0 40.0-20.0-- HYDROXIDE MAGNESIUM--25. 0--20.0 CARBONATE ALUMINUM---20. 0 25.0 20.0 HYDROXIDE ACESULFAM K 0. 2 0.3 0.2 0. 3 0.2 0.3 ACID BLOCKER**-1. 0-1.0-1.0 * Lake color dispersed in xylitol solution.

Acid blocker may be dissolved or dispersed in xylitol syrup.

The above formulas are used to coat pellets by applying a xylitol/gum arabic syrup in multiple coats and air drying. Color or titanium dioxide is also mixed in the xylitol/gum arabic syrup. Neutralizing antacids may be suspended in the xylitol hot syrup or added as a dry powder between syrup applications.

Acesulfam K may be added as part of the coating syrup. After the pellets have been coated and dried, talc and wax are added to give a polish.

Like xylitol, maltitol coatings may also contain a combination of antacid materials and acid blocker. The following formulation can be made.

TABLE 6 (DRY WEIGHT PERCENT) EX. 36 EX. 37 EX. 38 EX. 39 EX. 40 EX. 41 MALTITOL 68.5 49. 5 60. 8 50.4 59.8 45.1 MALTITOL POWDER 3.0 5.0 6.0 5.0 10.0 6.0 GUM TALHA 2.0 4.0 6.0 2.0 3.0 6.0 FLAVOR 0. 5 0.4 0.7 0. 5 0. 3 1.0 TITANIUM DIOXIDE 0. 5 0.5 1.0 0. 5 0. 4 1.3 TALC 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 WAX 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE 20. 0 25.0--20.0 MAGNESIUM CARBONATE 25.0 20.0-20.0-- ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE 20. 0 25.0 20.0 ACESULFAME K 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 ACID BLOCKER---1. 0 1.0- Maltitol powder with the acid blocker is used to dry charge in the early stages of coating. Maltitol, gum talha, neutralizing antacid, and titanium dioxide are blended into the coating syrup and applied to the gum pellets. The mixture is applied as a syrup suspension. After all coating is applied and dried, talc and wax are added to give a polish.

In a similar manner, coatings with sorbitol, lactitol and hydrogenated isomaltulose may be made in the coating formulas in Table 6 by replacing maltitol with any one of the other polyols and maltitol powder with the polyol powder.

Like maltitol, the other polyols may become sticky during the coating and drying process, so the dry powder charge may be needed to give the proper drying. In the later stages of the coating process, less gum talha could be used and a more pure polyol syrup could be used to give a smooth surface. Also, the dry charge would probably only be used in the early stages of the coating process.

In addition to dry charging with the specific polyol, other ingredients may be added to the dry charge to help absorb moisture. These materials could be inert such as talc, magnesium carbonate, starches, gums like arabinogalactan, gum talha, gum arabic or other moisture absorbing materials. Also, powdered sweeteners or flavors could be added with the dry charge.

Polyols such as sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol and hydrogenated isomaltulose are not sufficiently sweet compared to sugar or xylitol, so high-intensity sweeteners are preferably added to the coating. Beside aspartame, other high- intensity sweeteners may also be used such as acesulfame K, salts of acesulfame, cyclamate and its salts, saccharin and its salts, alitame, sucralose, thaumatin, monellin, dihydrochalcones, glycyrrhizin, neotame, and combinations thereof.

When adding antacids other than calcium carbonate, and a hot syrup is applied, heat and high pH may degrade some sweeteners, so only stable high-intensity sweeteners should be used if the high-intensity sweetener is added in the main coating syrup.

It should be appreciated that the compositions and methods of the present invention are capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments, only a few of which have been illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.