(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0104688 A1 Andersen Et Al
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US 20100104688A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0104688 A1 Andersen et al. (43) Pub. Date: Apr. 29, 2010 (54) CHEWING GUM GRANULES FOR Publication Classification COMPRESSED CHEWING GUM (51) Int. Cl. (76) Inventors: Carsten Andersen, Vejle (DK); A23G 4/18 (2006.01) Martin Topsoe, Vejle (DK); Bitten A23G 4/00 (2006.01) Thorengaard, Vejle Ost (DK) Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl. ............................................................ 426/5 ST, ONGE STEWARD JOHNSTON & REENS, LLC 986 BEDFORD STREET STAMFORD, CT 06905-5619 (US) (57) ABSTRACT A chewing gum granule containing gum base, wherein the (21) Appl. No.: 12/6s2,574 chewing gum granule is Substantially ball-shaped, the chew (22) Filed: Jan. 5, 2010 ing gum granule has an average diameter below 1900 um, and wherein the Surface of the chewing gum granule is provided Related U.S. Application Data with 0.5 to 18% by weight of free-flowing agent. With the (63) Continuation of application No. PCT/IB2007/001902, present invention improved free-flow properties of the chew filed on Jul. 6, 2007. ing gum granules may be obtained. Patent Application Publication Apr. 29, 2010 Sheet 1 of 3 US 2010/0104688 A1 O"10 Oo11 Fig. 1a Fig. 1b species-is-is . { . 3. to. eccles. too . Patent Application Publication Apr. 29, 2010 Sheet 2 of 3 US 2010/0104688 A1 Fig. 4b Patent Application Publication Apr. 29, 2010 Sheet 3 of 3 US 2010/0104688 A1 52 53 V Fig. 5b number /N - - - - tablet material - chewing gum granules o 4 granule N) a in o. diameter (um) O O O O number /1N - - - - tablet material - chewing gum granules / - st-4 A + i > . granule N in 9 g as R. R. diameter (um) US 2010/0104688 A1 Apr. 29, 2010 CHEWING GUM GRANULES FOR the Surface of the chewing gum granules results in a more COMPRESSED CHEWING GUMI difficult handling during e.g. transportation and storage as the chewing gum granules without free-flowing agent will tend to CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED Stick together and thereby result in an increased necessary APPLICATIONS effort when the chewing gum granules are to be separated for 0001. The present application is a continuation of pending use in a compressed chewing gum. The Stickiness may even International patent application PCT/IB2007/001902 filedon turn so bad that consequently large quantities of chewing gum Jul. 6, 2007 which designates the United States and the con granules must be dumped. tent of which is incorporated herein by reference. 0009. With the present invention it has surprisingly been obtained that a favorable amount of free-flowing agent within FIELD OF THE INVENTION an interval of 0.5 to 18% by weight provided on the surface of said chewing gum granules is capable of ensuring an 0002 The invention relates to the field of chewing gum improved Stability and texture of the compressed chewing and in particular to compressed chewing gum. gum and at the same time ensure that the chewing gum gran ules during transportation and storage have improved flow BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION properties and do not stick to be inseparable. 0003 Compressed chewing gum has been known for 0010. During transportation of granules, e.g. through decades and a number of prior art documents have indicated pipelines in a production process, it is not only very advan that compressed chewing gum has the advantage of being tageous that the granules do not stick to each other but at the especially suitable for delivery of active ingredients. As some same time do not mechanically lock each other. With good active ingredients tend to become unstable when exposed to flow-properties the granules may be lead to flow in a desired heat or certain other conditions associated to the manufacture direction without the same need for active maintenance as of conventional chewing gum, compressed chewing gum has could be the case for mechanically locked granules. often been preferred as delivery vehicle. 0011. It has been found that for granules with free-flowing 0004 While the prior art has disclosed some possible agent below about 0.5% by weight problems may arise with ways to produce compressed chewing gum, the most promi Sticking between the granules. Small amounts of free-flowing nent method is to produce compressed chewing gum by par agent causes that every spot on the Surface of each granule is ticulation of conventional chewing gum, producing irregular not covered, whereby the risk is higher of two badly covered Small granules, often referred to as chewing gum powder, spots touching each other whereby two granules may stick which is then compressed to a coherent compressed chewing together and thereby worsen the flow abilities of the compo gun. sition. 0005 EP 1427292 discloses a method for the production 0012. It has been found that for granules with free-flowing of chewing gum powder, which is then Subsequently com agent above about 18% by weight problems may arise when pressed into a final chewing gum tablet. The powder is compressing the granules because the high amount of free obtained through cooling and grinding of a soft basic gum and flowing agent weakens the effective packing of granules in a the result is irregular powder granules. The irregular shaping compressed chewing gum. results in a very large Surface area of the powder granules 0013 Furthermore, ball-shaped granules according to the where each surface subdivision holds the potential for stick invention may undergo an improved dense packaging when ing. While addition of anti-agglutination agent has been Sug compressed as compared with cooled and grinded granules as gested, the amount would not be sufficient to cover the surface the result of compression of ball-shaped granules will result of the powder granules. Mechanical locking caused by the in more regular building elements. Moreover, chewing gum shape of the powder granules combined with an insufficient granules with sizes of an average diameter below 1900 um amount of anti-agglutination agent will inferior the flow prop may be easier to pack densely during compression of the erties of a composition of chewing gum powder. granules as these naturally pack denser prior to compression than larger granule sizes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0014 Moreover, it has been obtained that the use of ball 0006. The invention relates to a chewing gum granule shaped granules results in improved flowing properties of the containing gum base, said chewing gum granule being Sub granules besides providing a smaller Surface/volume ratio for stantially ball-shaped, said chewing gum granule having an the granule resulting in a lesser need for high amounts of average diameter below 1900 um, and the surface of said free-flowing agent. chewing gum granule being provided with 0.5 to 18% by 0015 Typically in prior art particles obtained through weight of free-flowing agent. cooling and grinding are used, through which process irregu 0007 According to the invention, it has been established lar particles with large Surface areas compared to Volume is that the tabletting process for a compressed chewing gum obtained. A problem with these prior art particles is that there delivers an improved product with regard to i.e. stability and is a tendency towards applying large amounts of anti-agglu texture when the amount of free-flowing agent provided on tination agent in order to cover the whole Surface area. How the Surface of the chewing gum granule is controlled accord ever, the amount cannot be raised as desired for anti-sticking ing to the invention in order to avoid a too high level of purposes, as the texture of the final produced chewing gum free-flowing agent in the compressed chewing gum and will be inferior. Thereby the product may become crumbling thereby experience disintegration of compressed chewing or easily disintegrate. With the present invention this problem gum comprising chewing gum granules according to the is overcome. invention. 0016 Typically, prior art does not deal with free-flow 0008. However, according to the invention, it has also been properties even though acceptable texture and anti-sticking of realized that the complete absence of free-flowing agent on granules may at least partly be dealt with. US 2010/0104688 A1 Apr. 29, 2010 0017. With the present invention the ball-shaped shape of 0035. In an embodiment of the invention, the smooth sur the granules according to embodiments of the invention face is obtained by means of expansion in a liquid media. results in that mechanical locking in a chewing gum compo 0036. In an embodiment of the invention, the smooth sur sition may be minimized and further that a lower need for face is obtained by means of expansion in air. high amounts of free-flowing agent in order to obtain satis 0037. In an embodiment of the invention, said free-flow fying results may occur. ing agent has a particle size of less than 80 um. 0018. In an embodiment of the invention, said chewing 0038 Preferably the free-flowing agent is particular with a gum granule has an average diameter below 1600 um. particle size less than the average diameter of the chewing 0019. In an embodiment of the invention, said chewing gum granules in order to efficiently be able to distribute on the gum granule has an average diameter below 1400 um. Surface of the chewing gum granules. 0020. In an embodiment of the invention, said chewing 0039. The word particle throughout this document should gum granule has an average diameter below 1200 um. be understood as broadly as possibly being powder, granules, 0021. In an embodiment of the invention, said chewing agglomerates or the like.