Particle Containing a High-Intensity Sweetener, Process for Preparation and Use

(19) *EP002100519A1* (11) EP 2 100 519 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.: 16.09.2009 Bulletin 2009/38 A23L 1/236 (2006.01) C13F 3/00 (2006.01) C13F 3/02 (2006.01) (21) Application number: 08003951.4 (22) Date of filing: 04.03.2008 (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventor: Wouters, Rudy AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR 2260 Westerlo (BE) HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR (74) Representative: Koster, Nico et al Designated Extension States: Tiense Suikerraffinaderij N.V. AL BA MK RS Aandorenstraat 1 B-3300 Tienen (BE) (71) Applicant: Tiense Suikerraffinaderij N.V. 1150 Brussel (BE) (54) Particle containing a high-intensity sweetener, process for preparation and use (57) The invention relates to a nib sugar particle, con- b) preparing a liquid coating composition having water taining a nutritive sweetener and a high-intensity sweet- as continuous phase and containing at least one high- ener. The invention further relates to a process for the intensity sweetener; preparation of a nib sugar particle, comprising the steps c) applying the coating composition to the nib sugar par- of ticles; a) providing nib sugar particles consisting essentially of d) drying the nib sugar particles to a desired rest amount a nutritive sweetener; of water. EP 2 100 519 A1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 2 100 519 A1 2 Description [0013] Examples of high-intensity sweeteners from natural origin and suitable for use in the present invention [0001] The invention relates to a particle containing a are Abrusoside A, Baiyunoside, Brazzein, Curculin, Cy- high-intensity sweetener. clocarioside I, Dulcoside A, Dulcoside B, Glycyphyllin, [0002] Such particles are known, most notably in a 5 Glycyrrhizic acid and its salts, Hernandulcin, Luo Han small tablet-like form. These tablets are then used a.o. Guo sweetener, Mabinlin, Mogroside IV, Mogroside V, to sweeten beverages like tea or coffee. Monatin and its salts (Monatin SS RR RS SR), Miraculin, [0003] A disadvantage of the know particles is that their Monellin, Mukurozioside, Osladin, Periandrin I, Phlomi- small size and form gives these particles a rather clinical soside I, Phloridzin, Phyllodulcin, Polypodoside A, Pte- image, and makes them difficult to handle. 10 rocaryoside A, Pterocaryoside B, Rubusoside, Siameno- [0004] It is the objective of the present invention to re- side, Thaumatin, Trilobatin, as well as Stevia, Stevioside, duce or even eliminate the said disadvantage. Rebaudioside A, Rebaudioside B, Rebaudioside C, Re- [0005] The objective is achieved in that the particle is baudioside D, Rebaudioside E, and Rebaudioside F. a nib sugar particle. [0014] Examples of synthetic high-intensity sweeten- [0006] It is an advantage of the invention that the par- 15 ers suitable for use in the present invention are Acesul- ticles are easier to handle due to their larger size; more- fame, Acesulfame K, Alitame, Aspartame, Cyclamate, over, the irregular shape of nib sugar gives them a more Neohespiridin DC, Neotame, Saccharine, and Sucra- natural, organic appearance. lose. Especially preferred are sucralose and mixtures of [0007] The present invention thus relates to a nib sugar acesulfame K and aspartame. particles, containing at least one nutritive sweetener and 20 [0015] The nib sugar particle may in a preferred em- at least one high-intensity sweetener. bodiment contain a combination of two or more high-in- [0008] Traditional nib sugar particles, also referred to tensity sweeteners; this has the advantage that the as pearl sugar particles, are as such well-known; they sweetness profile may be tailored towards specific typically are irregularly shaped particles, having lengths needs, such as the desire to be as close to that of sucrose of about 2 - 15 mm and consisting essentially of fused 25 as possible or the desire to take specific flavour charac- sucrose crystals. Such nib sugar particles are often used teristic of a to be sweetened product into account. One for decorative purposes. preferred combination of high-intensity sweeteners is the [0009] As meant herein, the term ’sugar’, when used combination of acesulfame K and aspartame; in this em- to describe the particles of the invention, does not have bodiment, the weight ratio between acesulfame K and the meaning ’sucrose’ but rather the more generic mean- 30 aspartame may vary between wide limits but preferably ing of a nutritive sweetener. lies between 4:1 and 1:4, more preferably between 3:1 [0010] The terms ’consist(ing) essentially of’ or ’essen- and 1:1. tially only’ and equivalents have in relation to a compo- [0016] The nib sugar particle according to the invention sition the usual meaning that in addition to compounds has, like traditional nib sugar, an irregular appearance. that are mandatory, other compounds may also be 35 Preferably, the largest dimension of at least 30 wt%, more present, provided that the essential characteristics of the preferably at least 40, 50 or 60% of a batch of nib sugar composition are not materially affected by their presence. particles according to the invention lies between 1.5 mm [0011] The nib sugar particles according to the inven- and 15 mm; preferably the said largest dimension is at tion contain at least one nutritive sweetener. Known ex- least 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, or 5.5 mm. The weight of amples of nutritive sweeteners, in literature also referred 40 the nib sugar particles according to the invention also to as bulk sweeteners, are sucrose, mixtures of 6-0-al- varies within wide limits, preferably between 0.05 and pha-D-glucopyranosido-D-sorbitol (1,6-GPS) and 1-0- 1.5 grams. alpha-D-glucopyranosido-D-mannitol-dihydrate (1,1- [0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the GPM-dihydrate) such as Isomalt®, isomaltulose (Palati- weight of the particles within one batch of nib sugar par- nose®), trehalulose, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol, 45 ticles according to the invention shows a rather limited and mixtures thereof. In one preferred embodiment the variation, such that less than 15% of the particles devi- at least one nutritive sweetener is sucrose. ates more than 30% from the average value of that batch. [0012] The nib sugar particle of the invention contains This has the advantage that the sweetness as conferred at least one high-intensity sweetener. The term high-in- by each individual particle shows a variation that is small tensity sweetener means within the context of the present 50 enough to be acceptable to consumers, e.g. when com- invention a compound that has, compared to sucrose, paring a nib sugar particle to a standardised portion of per unit of weight at least 2 times and at most 20,000 sucrose such as a sachet or a lump. times the sweetness of sucrose. Many high-intensity [0018] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sweeteners as such are known, both from natural origin amount of high-intensity sweetener in the nib sugar par- as well as resulting from synthetic preparation. In princi- 55 ticle is such that it provides between 3 times and 200 ple, any high-intensity sweetener that can be incorporat- times the sweetness of the sweetness provided by the ed into a particle is suitable for the nib sugar particle of nutritive sweetener contained in the nib sugar particle. the invention. Preferably, the amount of high-intensity sweetener in the 2 3 EP 2 100 519 A1 4 nib sugar particle is such that it provides at least 5, 10, inence introduced a small disadvantage, most notably 15, 20, 25, 30 or even 35 times the sweetness of the when the nib sugar particles come into contact with skin sweetness provided by the nutritive sweetener contained - such as the hand - and in this process leave an unde- in the nib sugar particle. Also, the amount of high-inten- sired long-lingering sweetness on the skin. In order to sity sweetener in the nib sugar particle is preferably such 5 reduce or even eliminate this disadvantage, it is preferred that it provides at most 180, 160, 140, 120, 100, 80, or that the nib sugar particle has furthermore an outer coat- 60 times the sweetness of the sweetness provided by ing, wherein the outer coating contains or even consists the nutritive sweetener contained in the nib sugar parti- essentially of a nutritive sweetener. Preferably, the cle. These ranges have the advantage that they allow a weight percentage of the high-intensity sweetener in the nib sugar particle of the invention to have a comparable 10 outer coating is at most 30%, 20%, or even 10% or 5% amount of sweetness compared to a standard dosing of of the concentration of high-intensity sweetener in the sucrose; such a standard dosing varies per country or first coating or, in case there is no first coating, the core. even region but is often lying between 3 and 6 grams. More preferably, the outer coating contains essentially [0019] In embodiments such as the ones described no high-intensity sweetener. above, it is clear that the high-intensity sweetener pro- 15 [0023] The nib sugar particle according to the invention vides the largest part or even almost all of the sweetness, may be prepared by integrating the addition of a high- whereas the nutritive sweetener provides a mere minority intensity sweetener into a production process of sugar or even only a negligible amount of sweetness. According nibs. to the invention, therefore, the first and principle role of [0024] A suitable and known process for the prepara- the nutritive sweetener is that of a carrier, not that of a 20 tion of nib sugar in case the nutritive sweetener is sucrose sweetener.

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