CHEWING GUM CONTAINING DIPETIDE SWEETENER WITH LENGTHENED AND IMPROVED FLAVOUR

Abstract

The invention relates to chewing gums containing dipeptide sweetener, both in a sugar-free and in a sugar-containing form, and other chewable products. Improved flavor, in terms of both quality and persistence, in particular in the case of products which also contain flavorings based on aldehydes, is achieved when the dipeptide sweetener is a sweetening salt of an aspartic-acid-derived dipeptide sweetener and a derivative of a sweetening acid. The particle size of the sweetening salt is preferably smaller than 200 μm, and the sweetening salt is preferably present in a quantity from 100 to 6000 ppm.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to chewing gums containing dipeptide sweetener. The term “chewing gums” as used in this application refers to all forms of chewing gum products and includes the normal chewing gums and the so-called “bubble gums”, both in a sugar-free and in a sugar-containing form. The term “chewing gums” also includes all other forms of chewable products sweetened with dipeptide sweetener, such as chewing tablets based on gum. The invention is intended to improve the flavour of such chewing gums, both insofar as the quality of flavour is concerned and also insofar as the persistence of the flavour is concerned. In particular the invention relates to chewing gum products sweetened with a dipeptide sweetener which contain flavourings based on aldehydes (i.e. the so-called aldehyde flavour products, or aldehyde flavourings). The term “aroma substances” is sometimes used instead of “flavourings”.

[0002] Chewing gums sweetened with dipeptide sweetener are known and described in various patent publications, for example in WO-90/06689, where it is stated that the perception of flavour when consuming the chewing gum can be lengthened by adding spicy plant extracts (so-called “spice ingredients”). WO-92/07473 describes chewing gums in which longer and improved flavour is achieved by using coated synergistic mixtures of the two intensive sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame-K; it also reports that there are less marked effects as regards stability problems which can arise with aspartame in the presence of aldehydes, ketones, moisture, etc. So-called Maillard reactions, for example, can occur. Such problems of course also affect the stability of the chewing gums during storage, the storage stability.

[0003] Chewing gums sweetened with dipeptide sweetener are commercially available, in various flavours, including aldehyde flavour or mint flavour, such as products from the Wrigley range, e.g. Wrigley's Extra PlenTpak with cinnamon flavour and Wrigley's Orbit with mint flavour.

[0004] For the purposes of this application “dipeptide sweetener” means products with a sweetening power which is many dozens of times stronger than that of sugar, and which are made up of amino acids or derivatives of amino acids linked via a peptide bond. The best-known examples of dipeptide sweeteners are aspartame and alitame.

[0005] Aspartame (α-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalaninemethylester), hereinafter also referred to as APM, is a dipeptide sweetener with a sweetening power which is approximately 200× that of sucrose. Aspartame is used as an intense sweetener in many applications because of its good flavour properties and low-calorie characteristics. Aspartame is also widely used in chewing gums.

[0006] Alitame (L-α-aspartyl-n-(2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-thietanyl)-D-alanineamidehydrate), hereinafter also referred to as ALI, is a dipeptide sweetener with a sweetening power which is approximately 2000× that of sucrose.

[0007] It is also known that dipeptide sweeteners in chewing gums are used in the form of blends, i.e. physical mixtures, with other sweeteners. See for example Patent WO-92/07473, already mentioned above, in which a (coated) blend of APM and acesulfame-K (the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide, hereinafter also referred to as Ace-K) is used.

[0008] As is to some extent already apparent from the foregoing, the use of dipeptide sweeteners in chewing gums etc., in particular in chewing gums which contain flavourings based on aldehydes, is impeded by problems resulting from the somewhat limited chemical stability of the dipeptide sweeteners, in addition to problems with regard to the fact that the release of the sweet taste in the relevant applications (the so-called “sweetness release”) is not optimal. WO-92/07473 and EP-A-0457724, for example, state that aspartame shows instability in the presence of aldehydes, ketones, moisture etc. This is already detrimental during the production of the chewing gums, but also detrimental to the storage stability of the products in which the said components are present together, as the sweetening power decreases as a result. Under such circumstances, as a result of unwanted reactions, there may also be discoloration of the (solid) products in which a dipeptide sweetener is incorporated.

[0009] In the prior art efforts have been made to find solutions with the aim of lengthening the perception of flavour when consuming chewing gums, and also with the aim of combating stability problems due to the presence of dipeptide sweetener in chewing gums, by for example providing the dipeptide sweetener with a coating, in an extra process step. This is described in EP-A-0461197, for example. As described in EP-A-0160607, for example, attempts have also been made to combat stability problems in chewing gums containing aldehydes, for example, by applying the dipeptide sweetener to the surface of the chewing gum. All this has disadvantages, however, in terms of the complexity of manufacture and requires additional process steps. In addition, so-called “hot spots” may occur in chewing gums which are sweetened with coated sweeteners. In order to improve these various aspects, blends of a dipeptide sweetener and another intense sweetener, such as acesulfame-K or saccharin, are therefore also used in chewing gums. When such blends are used, there will usually be different peaks in the perception of the sweetness during consumption of a chewing gum, because of differences in the sweetening profiles of the various sweeteners, and there is also a risk that a bitter or pungent flavour may be perceived at certain periods during consumption. In addition it should be noted that attempts have also been made to influence the profile of the release of sweetening power in chewing gums etc. by varying the particle size of the dipeptide sweetener used in these products (see for example EP-A-0427541), or by appropriate choice of the location of the sweetener in the chewing gum product to be sweetened (e.g. by powdering the outside of chewing gum strips with sweetener or by providing the chewing gum itself with a coating which is also sweetened and optionally contains an aldehyde aroma component, as is described for example in EP-A-0129584).

[0010] According to the prior art there is thus still no entirely satisfactory solution for producing a desired sweetness level and sweetening power profile in chewing gums—in terms inter alia of the intensity, quality and persistence of the sweet taste perception—during the consumption time while chewing, and in addition the consumption time is generally found too short. This is especially the case when the chewing gums also have reduced storage stability (i.e. loss of sweetening power during storage).

[0011] There is therefore a need to provide chewing gums containing dipeptide sweetener with a lengthened and improved flavour. There is also a need for a method of producing such chewing gums with a lengthened and improved flavour in a simple way. In particular there is a need to improve the flavour quality and the persistence of the flavour of chewing gum products sweetened with a dipeptide sweetener which contain flavourings based on aldehydes.

[0012] Surprisingly, extensive research by the applicant has now yielded chewing gums containing dipeptide sweetener with outstanding flavour quality and persistence of flavour, where the dipeptide sweetener is a sweetening salt of an aspartic-acid-derived dipeptide sweetener and a derivative of a sweetening acid. It has been found that chewing gums with such a composition show a surprisingly long duration of the sweetening power during consumption and have very good flavour quality.

[0013] In particular it has also been found that chewing gum products sweetened with a dipeptide sweetener which contain flavourings based on aldehydes show a surprisingly long duration of the sweetening power during consumption and have very good flavour quality when the dipeptide sweetener is a sweetening salt of an aspartic-acid-derived dipeptide sweetener and a derivative of a sweetening acid. This is true both when the chewing gums are consumed shortly after their manufacture and when the chewing gums are stored for a long period, e.g. a few months, before being consumed. The storage stability of such products is therefore also considerably better than that of chewing gums sweetened with a (free or mixed) dipeptide sweetener.

[0014] Sweetening salts of an aspartic-acid-derived dipeptide sweetener and a derivative of a sweetening acid as meant here are described in CA-A-1027113 and ES-A-8604766, and also in Belgian patent application No. 9500836, which had not been prepublished on the priority date of the present application and which led to inter alia EP-A-0768041. Derivatives of sweetening acids as meant here are (derivatives of) organic acids corresponding to an intense sweetener which is not derived from aspartic acid. From none of the documents mentioned here, in which moreover possibilities of application for the sweetening salts in question are only indicated in very general terms without showing concrete applications, can it be inferred or expected that these sweetening salts in chewing gums have such a strong effect on the duration of the sweetening power during consumption or on flavour quality and stability. This is relevant not only in comparison with chewing gum products in which only a dipeptide sweetener is present as the sweetening component but also in comparison with chewing gum products in which the dipeptide sweetener is used in the form of a blend.

[0015] Examples of suitable sweetening salts which according to the invention can be used in chewing gums are: salts of aspartame (APM) or alitame (ALI) with acesulfamic acid (i.e. the acid derived from Ace-K), -with saccharic acid (1,2-benz-isothiazol-3(2H)-one-1,1-dioxide) and with cyclohexylsulfamic acid (cyclamate). The most suitable one is the salt of aspartame and acesulfamic acid, hereinafter also referred to as APM-Ace or as the APM-Ace salt; particularly suitable is the exceptionally stable, non-hygroscopic product as obtained in solid form by the method in Belgian non-prepublished patent application No. 9500836. In said method aspartame and a salt of acesulphamic acid are allowed to react in an aqueous medium in the presence of a strong acid, and the APM-Ace formed is isolated from the reaction mixture.

[0016] The particle size of the sweetening salts which under this invention are used in the relevant chewing gums, and in particular the particle size of the sweetening salts as present at the time of manufacture of the chewing gums, is not particularly critical, but is generally not more than 500 μm. The presence of larger particles in the chewing gum causes less homogeneous and less balanced release of the sweetening power during consumption. Use of a sweetening salt with a particle size <350 μm offers advantages in terms of the flavour quality of the chewing gum. The best flavour quality is achieved if the particle size of the sweetening salt is in the range <100 μm, but particles in the range 100-200 μm also give products with excellent and lengthened flavour when used in chewing gums. In a number of cases somewhat better stability of the products is also obtained with sweetening salt particles in the range 100-200 μm. By choosing the particle size of the sweetening salt to be used, the specialist can achieve further fine-tuning of the desired flavour quality and stability.

[0017] The content of sweetening salt in the chewing gums according to the invention can vary within a very wide range, but it should generally lie within the range from 100 to 6000 ppm (calculated relative to the total mass of the chewing gum).

[0018] It will be clear to the specialist that although chewing gums with a lengthened flavour are already produced according to the invention, the flavour profile of the chewing gum products can be further adjusted by adding additional small quantities of a separate intense sweetener or a blend of sweeteners, in addition to choosing the particle size of the sweetening salt. Accelerated emergence of the sweet flavour, the so-called “up-front release”, can thus be achieved, for example. In addition, the flavour profile of the chewing gums can be further influenced by applying all or a proportion of the particles of the sweetening salt in the chewing gum in coated form, or by adding the additional small quantity of a separate intense sweetener (if one is used) to the chewing gum also partially or entirely in coated form. Application of part or all of the sweetener in coated form ensures an adapted profile of the release of the sweet flavour and can thus be regarded as a form of “controlled release”. In addition, all the known techniques in relation to the technical shaping of the final product (the chewing gum) and/or the components to be incorporated, such as the sweetening salt, are of course also available to the specialist in order to achieve further desired flavour effects and/or aesthetic effects. Examples of such techniques in relation to the technical shaping of the components are granulation, grinding, freeze-drying, spray-drying, agglomeration etc. The invention is in no way limited with regard to the place where the sweetening salt used according to the invention is located in or on the chewing gum.

[0019] As is known and customary, chewing gums consist in large part (about 5 to 95% by wt) of a so-called “gum base” and all sorts of additives, such as aroma substances. The gum base generally consists of a combination of natural gums and/or synthetic elastomers and resins, and also contains softeners and (5 to 60% by wt) inorganic fillers. The gum base may also contain other components such as antioxidants, colorants and emulsifiers. Within the framework of the present invention the kind and nature of the components of the gum base is not critical, but it is self-evident that if aldehydes, ketones etc. are present in the gum base, there may be a detrimental effect on the properties of chewing gums which contain APM, for example, as sweetener. Furthermore, the chewing gums contain all sorts of flavourings which may originate from natural plant extracts or be obtained synthetically.

[0020] Examples of aldehyde flavourings which can be used in chewing gums are acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, citral, α-citral, β-citral, decanal, ethyl vanillin, heliotropin (piperonal), vanillin, α-amyl-cinnamaldehyde, citronellal, aldehyde C-8, aldehyde C-9, aldehyde C-12, trans-2-hexenal, veratraldehyde, etc.

[0021] Examples of ketones which can be used in chewing gum products are acetophenone, acetone, methyl-n-amylketone, p-hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone, α-ionone, β-ionone, methyl-3-butanone, 2-heptanone, o-hydroxy-acetophenone, 2-methyl-2-hepten-6-one, 2-octanone, 2-undecanone and 2-pentanone.

[0022] Besides the sweetening salts to be used according to the invention, food sugars and/or other sweeteners can also be present in the chewing gums according to the invention. Examples of these are aspartame, alitame, acesulfame-K, saccharinates, cyclamates, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (abbreviated to NHDC), sucralose, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, dextrins, maltitol, sucrose, dextrose, glucose syrups, fructose, fructose syrups, etc., or combinations thereof.

[0023] The invention will now be clarified by means of some tests and comparative tests, but is in no respect limited to these.

[0024] The sweetening salt of aspartame and acesulfamic acid (hereinafter referred to as APM-Ace) used in the chewing gum products tested was produced by the method in Experiment 4a of Belgian non-prepublished patent application No. 9500836. The procedure was as follows:

[0025] 608 g of APM and 410 g of AceK (each 2.0 mol) were added consecutively to 2 1 of water at 20° C., after which the resultant slurry was brought to 50° C. and 370 g of 20% HCl in water was added, with stirring, over 30 minutes. In this operation the initially rather voluminous slurry changed into a less voluminous slurry. At the end of the addition of HCl the slurry obtained was cooled to 10° C. over about 30 minutes via indirect heat exchange with a cooling medium at 0° C. and was then filtered off. The crystalline mass obtained was washed with a minimum quantity of chilled water and dried in a vacuum at 40° C. This produced in total 820 g (i.e. a yield of 90%) of a white product which according to 1 H-NMR consisted entirely of the 1:1 salt of APM and acesulfamic acid, with a purity >99%. The moisture content was 0.12%. Two fractions were separated from this product by sieving procedures: an initial fraction with particles <100 μm and a fraction with particles of 100-200 μm.

[0026] For comparison purposes corresponding particle size fractions were also made from each of the sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame-K separately, and 1:1 blends on a molar basis were made up, both for APM and Ace-K with a particle size <100 μm and for APM and Ace-K with a particle size in the range 100-200 μm. These blends had a composition of approximately 3:2 by weight. When they were used in the chewing gums, the quantity of the blends taken in each case was such that (allowing for corrections for the potassium content in Ace-K and for the water content, determined by the “loss-on-drying” method, in APM) the same amount of aspartame was added to the chewing gums as in the case of addition of the sweetening APM-Ace salt.

[0027] As part of the investigation, tests were made with chewing gums with mint flavour and chewing gums with cinnamon flavour. Tests (and comparative tests) were carried out in order to determine various sensory properties (“attributes”). For the chewing gums with cinnamon flavour analytical tests with regard to the storage stability of the chewing gums were also made in addition to the sensory tests. All the chewing gums tested were made in accordance with a standard formulation consisting of a sugar-free gum base and sorbitol. The formulations for the M tests (mint flavour) and the K tests (cinnamon flavour) conformed to the following composition:

		mint	cinnamon
	Ingredients (% w/w):	tests M	tests K
	sorbitol powder (P60W,	53.1
	Roquette)
	sorbitol powder (P100T,		52.4
	Roquette)
	sugar-free gum base	24.5	24.6
	(Valencia-T, Cafosa)
	sorbitol solution	16.1	16.2
	(Neosorb 70/70;
	Roquette)
	glycerine	4.8	4.8
	mint flavour (214707;	1.5
	Haarman + Reimer)
	cinnamon flavour		2.0
	(17.42.7305, IFF)
		100.0	100.0

[0028] 2700 ppm of the sweetener APM-Ace to be used according to the invention was also incorporated in these compositions, in two separately tested fractions in terms of particle size, viz. a fraction <100 μm (see tests M1 and K1) and a fraction of 100-200 μm (see tests M2 and K2).

[0029] For comparison purposes, tests were made with compositions with mint and cinnamon flavour, respectively, as indicated above, in which the 2700 ppm of APM-Ace was replaced by 3000 ppm of a blend of APM and Ace-K (in a 1:1 molar ratio; 3:2 ratio by weight). In determining the amount of 3000 ppm allowance was made for the correction for the water content of APM (according to the “loss-on-drying” method) and the potassium content of Ace-K. In order to optimize comparability, use was also made of blends in two different fractions in terms of particle size: a fraction with APM and Ace-K particles <100 μm (see comparative tests M1A and K1A) and a fraction with APM and Ace-K particles of 100-200 μm (see comparative tests M2A and K2A).

[0030] In addition, for comparison purposes, a commercially available chewing gum, namely Wrigley Peppermint Orbit, was also tested in the sensory tests on the chewing gums with mint flavour. The APM used in these chewing gums has a coating.

[0031] The tests and comparative tests can be represented schematically as follows:

	Mint	Cinnamon
	APM-Ace	<100 μm	M1	K1	test
	APM +	<100 μm	M1A	K1A	comp.
	Ace-K				test
	APM-Ace	100-200 μm	M2	K2	test
	APM +	100-200 μm	M2A	K2A	comp.
	Ace-K				test
	commercial product	MB	KB	comp.
				test

[0032] The procedure for making the test chewing gums (including that for the comparative test chewing gums MA and KA) was in each case as follows:

[0033] The gum base was put into a Z-blade mixer and softened in it with heating to a final temperature of 50 to 60° C. and stirring. In each formulation the sweetener in the amount indicated (see above) was first dispersed in the sorbitol powder, while the sorbitol solution with the glycerine was also heated, to 60° C., before the sorbitol powder and sorbitol solution were both added to the gum base, with stirring. The whole was mixed for 10 minutes at the above-mentioned temperature, and then for a further 10 minutes with the heating element switched off. The dough obtained was rolled out with a dough roller (“pastry brake”) to a thickness of 1.5 mm. Strips of 73×19 mm, which were each packed in foil (as is usual for chewing gum), were cut out of the rolled-out mass.

[0034] Part of the chewing gums made in this way was then kept frozen in order that samples which best approximated to the original condition of the relevant chewing gum would be available for comparison at any desired time; the remaining part was subjected to sensory tests a short time (i.e. within a week) after production. Part of the chewing gums with cinnamon flavour was stored at 20° C. (storage-quality tests). Sensory tests were made on these chewing gums after 4 and 12 weeks as well as after 52 weeks of storage, with comparisons also being made with corresponding chewing gums that had been kept frozen at −18° C. Another part of the chewing gums with cinnamon flavour was kept at 40° C., as an accelerated keeping-quality test. The storage stability of these chewing gums was monitored by analysis of the content of APM and Ace-K (or Ace) after 14 and 28 days of storage.

[0035] As regards the sensory tests, the chewing gums were evaluated by an experienced panel, with 6 members, for:

[0036] sweetness intensity, hereinafter referred to as “SI”;

[0037] sweetness quality, hereinafter referred to as “SQ”, particular attention being paid to off-flavours such as metallic flavour and bitterness;

[0038] release of the desired flavour (here mint and cinnamon flavour, respectively), hereinafter referred to as “FR”; and for

[0039] overall acceptability of the chewing gum, hereinafter referred to as “OA”,

[0040] these evaluations in each case being made after 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes of chewing.

[0041] Precise records were kept of the observations. These records for the mint flavour products, as evaluated within one week after production, are summarized in Table I below. It should be noted that evaluation of these products after 12 weeks did not show any significant differences.

TABLE I

[0042]

	TABLE I
	TEST	COMP.	TEST	COMP.	COMP.
	M1	TEST M1A	M2	TEST M2A	TEST MB
SI	slow start	slightly	slow start	slightly	immedia-
	no peak but	slow start;	1st peak	slow start;	tely
	continuing	peak after 2	after 1 3/4	peak after 2	percep-
	sweetness	minutes; end	min.;	min.; end at	tible; 1st
	which	at 6	continuing	6 minutes	short peak
	becomes	minutes	sweet and	somewhat	after 15
	stronger	somewaht	even	less sweet	sec. and
	after 6	sweeter	stronger	than M1A	2nd peak
	minutes;	than	after 6		after 6
	still fairly	M2A	min.; still		min.; after
	sweet even		fairly		9 min. no
	after 15 min.		sweet		longer
			after 15		nice, no
			min.		longer
					sweet
SQ	good quality	good, but	good;	good, but	reason-
	and good	percep-tible	somewhat	percep-tible	able
	persistence	for too	more of a	for too	with two
	not bitter	short a time	peak tha	short a time	distinct
		not bitter	M1;	not bitter	peaks not
			balanced		bitter
			sweetness;
			flavour
			full; not
			bitter
FR	good; some-	good; but as	good;	good, but
	what less	short as	retention	somewhat
	strong than	sweetness	of flavour	sharper than
	M1A;		because of	M1A; as
	flavour		continuing	short as
	continues as		sweetness	sweetness;
	long as			unpleasant
	sweetness			hot taste
				sensation
				after 10
				minutes
QA	markedly	reasonable	very good	reasonable
	better than
	M1A

[0043] Comparable results were found for the chewing gums with cinnamon flavour. For these products evaluations were also made after 4, 12 and 52 weeks of storage at 20° C. (with comparisons also being made in each case with original chewing gums of the same type which had been kept at −18° C.).

[0044] In the sensory tests with the cinnamon flavour chewing gums, too, the products according to the invention scored better in all cases than the corresponding comparison products. Both in the comparison products and in the products according to the invention, however, a deterioration of attributes as a result of storage at 20° C. was observed. In all the products there was slight discoloration relative to the products which had been kept under deep-freeze conditions. When the cinnamon chewing gums products sweetened with the sweeteners <100 μm and 100-200 μm were compared with each other, the former products were found to deteriorate somewhat more in terms of sweetness than the latter, but in both types of product there was perceptible sweetness and flavour throughout the 15 minutes of the sensory tests. The overall flavour score for the products which were sweetened with the smaller particles was somewhat higher (both for the products with mint flavour and for those with cinnamon flavour) than for the products which were sweetened with the larger particles. In the comparison chewing gums with cinnamon flavour (in the samples tested after 4 weeks) there was no longer any percep- tible sweetness or flavour after about 6-8 minutes.

[0045] The sensory findings for the cinnamon flavour products, as evaluated after 4, 12 and 52 weeks of storage, are summarized in Tables II, III and IV below. The bottom row in these tables shows the differences from the frozen chewing gums.

TABLE II
Storage time four weeks at 20° C.
		COMP.		COMP.
	TEST K1	TEST K1A	TEST K2	TEST K2A
SI	faster start	slow but good	slow start;	faster build-
	than K1A;	in terms of	slow build-up	up of
	good	build-up; peak	of sweetness;	sweetness than
	build-up of	after 2	peak after 2	K1A;
	sweetness;	minutes; then	minutes;	somewhat
	peak after 2	marked	decrease in	hotter taste
	minutes; then	decrease	sweetness but	than K1 or
	decrease	in sweetness;	less than K2A	K1A; rapid
	in sweetness;	still slightly	(and than K1	decrease;
	sweetness	sweet after 6	and K1A);	scarcely any
	remains clearly	minutes; flat	lengthened	sweetness
	perceptible for	flavour after	sweetness and	left at 4
	more than 15	10 minutes	flavour	minutes;
	minutes		profile for	scarcely any
			more than 15	flavour left
			minutes	after 8
				minutes
SQ	good quality	good, but	good; no off-	good, but
	and good	perceptible for	taste	perceptible
	persistence; no	too short a	perceptible;	for too short
	off-taste, not	time; no off-	not bitter	a time; no
	bitter; better	taste, not		off-taste; not
	than K1A	bitter		bitter
FR	good; sweet-	good, but as	good;	good, but
	ness and	short as	retention of	somewhat
	flavour	sweetness	flavour	sharper than
	remain clearly		because of	K1A; as short
	perceptible		continuing	as sweetness
			sweetness
OA	markedly better	reasonable	markedly	reasonable
	than K1A;		better than
	somewhat		K2A
	better than K2
*)	as sweet after 2	less intensely	slower start	slower start
	minutes; some-	sweet and less	to sweetness	to sweetness
	what faster	flavour than	build-up;	build-up
	decrease in	REF	somewhat later
	sweetness		but equally
	relative to REF		strong peak
*) relative to product stored at −18° C. (REF)

[0046]

TABLE III
Storage time 12 weeks at 20° C.
		COMP.		COMP.
	TEST K1	TEST K1A	TEST K2	TEST K2A
SI	rather slow	slow but build-	slower start	slow start;
	start; good	up after 30	than K2A; slow	build-up of
	build-up from	sec.; peak	build-up of	sweetness to
	40 sec.	after 2	sweetness;	peak after 2
	onwards; peak	minutes; than	peak after 2.5	minutes; rapid
	after 2 minutes;	marked	minutes;	decrease;
	rather less than	decrease	decrease in	scarcely any
	for K1A; then	in sweetness;	sweetness, but	sweetness left
	decrease in	still slightly	less than K2A;	at 3.5
	sweetness but	sweet after 4	lengthened	minutes;
	not as fast as	minutes; very	flavour and	scarcely any
	K1A; sweet-	flat flavour	sweetness	flavour left
	ness and	after 6	profile for	after 6
	flavour remain	minutes; an	more than 15	minutes; no
	for more	effort to	minutes	sweetness or
	than 15	continue		flavour
	minutes	chewing		perceptible
				after 10
				minutes
SQ	reasonable	reasonable, but	reasonable;	reasonable
	quality and	very sharp	not bitter	beginning, but
	good	refreshing taste		perceptible
	persistence; not	at the back of		for too short
	bitter; better	the tongue; not		time; not
	than K1A	bitter		bitter
FR	flavour peak	moderate with	reasonable;	reasonable,
	after 2 minutes;	dull flavour,	retention of	but sharp
	reasonable;	but as short as	flavour	burnt flavour
	sweetness and	sweetness	because of	at beginning;
	flavour remain		continuing	flavour and
	clearly		sweetness;	sweetness
	perceptible		somewhat	present for
			flatter than	too short a
			K2A	time
OA	markedly better	reasonable	remains sweet	reasonable
	than K1A		and tasty for
			15 min.
*)	rather more	rather more	rather more	rather more
	discoloured;	discoloured;	discoloured;	discoloured;
	sweetness	more	slower build-	sweetness
	profile	refreshing;	up of	intensity much
	identical but	sweetness	sweetness and	less, faster
	rather lower	profile	rather less	decrease in
	intensity and	identical but	intensely	sweetness and
	after 10	intensity much	sweet; rather	flavour
	minutes	lower; flavour	less flavour,
	rather less	less fresh	but better
	flavour		than K2A
*) relative to product stored at −18° C. (REF)

[0047]

TABLE IV
Storage time 12 weeks at 20° C.
		COMP. TEST		COMP. TEST
	TEST K1	K1A	TEST K2	K2A
SI	slow start;	slow start	slow start	slow start;
	build-up from	but build-up	but	sweetness
	15 sec	after 30	reasonable	builds up
	onwards; peak	sec; low	build-up of	to low
	after 2.5	peak after 2	sweetness;	level; peak
	minutes;	minutes;	wide peak	after 2.5
	persists	then rapid	after	minutes;
	longer than	decrease in	approx. 2.5	rapid
	K1A; then	sweetness;	minutes;	decrease;
	some decrease	still slight-	sweetness	scarcely
	in sweetness,	ly sweet	fades slowly	any sweet-
	which	after 3 min-	but returns	ness left
	increases	utes; flat	after 6	at 4 min-
	again after 6	flavour	minutes;	utes;
	minutes;	after 6 min-	lengthened	flavour
	sweetness and	utes; an	flavour and	becomes
	flavour	effort to	sweetness	unpleasant
	remain for	continue	profile	from 6
	more than 15	chewing	though less	minutes
	minutes		than with K1	onwards
SQ	reasonable	moderate and	reasonable;	moderate
	quality and	brief;	not bitter;	and brief
	good	“drying”	less than
	persistence;	character	with K1
	not bitter;	already
	better than	after some
	K1A	minutes
FR	flavour peaks	reasonable	reasonable;	moderate;
	after 2.5	with dull	because of	flavour and
	minutes;	taste, but	lasting	sweetness
	reasonable;	as brief as	sweetness	too briefly
	sweetness and	sweetness		present;
	flavour			too soon
	remain well			unpleasant
	perceptible
OA	reasonable;	poor	remains	poor
	much better		acceptable
	than K1A		enough to
			continue
			chewing
*)	slightly more	slightly	slightly	slightly
	discoloured;	more	more	more dis-
	identical	discoloured;	discoloured;	coloured;
	sweetness	more	slower	sweetness
	profile but	refreshing;	build-up of	intensity
	somewhat	sweetness	sweetness	distinctly
	slower build-	profile	and somewhat	lower; more
	up and less	identical	less sweet;	rapid
	intense; both	but slower	slightly	decrease in
	samples are	build-up and	less flavour	sweetness
	still	intensity	but better	and
	agreeable	distinctly	than K2A;	flavour;
	after 15	lower;	both samples	even less
	minutes	flavour	still	pleasant
		becomes	agreeable	flavour
		unpleasant	after 15
		already	minutes
		after 6
		minutes; no
		discernible
		difference
		after 15
		minutes
*) relative to product stored at −18° C. (REF)

[0048] The results of the sensory tests made with the cinnamon (aldehyde) flavour test chewing gums and comparison chewing gums were also confirmed by accelerated ageing tests (at 40° C.), in which the contents of APM and Ace-K (or Ace) were determined by HPLC (high-pressure liquid chromatography). An overview of the relevant HPLC analysis results is given in Table V below:

TABLE V
Relative decrease in contents of APM and Ace-K or Ace
during storage at 40° C. for:
				28 days
			14 days	residual
		0 days	residual	content
sample	comp.	content (%)	content (%)	(%)
<100 μm
K1	APM	100	47	36
	Ace	100	100	95
K1A	APM	100	10	0
	Ace-K	100	94	95
100-200 μm
K2	APM	100	45	44
	Ace	100	83	84
K2A	APM	100	16	0
	Ace-K	100	96	100

[0049] The presence of sweetening salts in chewing gum products can be determined by IR-spectroscopic techniques.

Claims

1. Chewing gums containing dipeptide sweetener, characterized in that the dipeptide sweetener is a sweetening salt of an aspartic acid based dipeptide sweetener and a derivative of a sweetening acid.

2. Chewing gums according to claim 1, characterized in that the chewing gum containing dipeptide sweetener also contains an aldehyde flavouring substance.

3. Chewing gum according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the sweetening salt is chosen from the salts of aspartame with acesulphamic acid, saccharinic acid or cyclohexylsulphamic acid and from the salts of alitame and acesulphamic acid, saccharinic acid or cyclohexylsulphamic acid.

4. Chewing gum according to claim 3, characterized in that the sweetening salt is the salt of aspartame and acesulphamic acid.

5. Chewing gum according to claim 4, with the salt of aspartame and acesulphamic acid having been obtained by allowing aspartame and a salt of acesulphamic acid to react in an aqueous medium in the presence of a strong acid and isolating the salt formed from the reaction mixture.

6. Chewing gum according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the particle size of the sweetening salt is smaller than 500 μm, in particular smaller than 350 μm, more preferably smaller than 200 μm and most preferably is in the range below 100 μm.

7. Chewing gum according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the sweetening salt in the chewing gum, at the time of preparation of the latter, is present in an amount of 100 to 6000 ppm (relative to the total mass of the chewing gum).

8. Chewing gum according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the taste profile of the chewing gum has been adapted yet further due to at least part of the sweetening salt having been applied in coated form or in a suitable technical shape or due to further amounts of a sweetener having been added to the chewing gum at one or more suitable places in it or due to the technical shape of the chewing gum having been suitably adapted.

9. Process for the preparation of chewing gums containing dipeptide sweetener, characterized in that the dipeptide sweetener used in the preparation of the chewing gum is a sweetening salt of an aspartic-acid-based dipeptide sweetener and a derivative of a sweetening acid.

10. Process according to claim 9, characterized in that the chewing gum containing dipeptide sweetener has an aldehyde taste character.

11. Process according to any one of claims 10-11, characterized in that the sweetening salt used is chosen from the salts of aspartame with acesulphamic acid, saccharinic acid or cyclohexylsulphamic acid and from the salts of alitame with acesulphamic acid, saccharinic acid or cyclohexylsulphamic acid.

12. Process according to claim 11, characterized in that the sweetening salt used is the salt of aspartame and acesulphamic acid.

13. Process according to claim 12, wherein a salt of aspartame and acesulphamic acid is used which has been obtained by allowing aspartame and a salt of acesulphamic acid to react in an aqueous medium in the presence of a strong acid and isolating the salt formed from the reaction mixture.

14. Process according to any one of claims 9-13, characterized in that the particle size of the sweetening salt is smaller than 500 μm, in particular smaller than 350 μm, more preferably smaller than 200 μm and most preferably is in the range below 100 μm.

15. Process according to any one of claims 9-14, characterized in that the sweetening salt is used in an amount of 100 to 6000 ppm (relative to the total mass of the chewing gum).

16. Process according to any one of claims 9-15, characterized in that at least part of the sweetening salt used has been applied in coated form or in a suitable technical shape or with further amounts of a sweetener being added to the chewing gum or with the technical shape of the chewing gum being suitably adapted.

17. Chewing gums and process for the preparation thereof as substantially described in the specification and the examples.