ENCAPSULATED SWEETENERS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract

Encapsulated sweeteners and a method for producing same. The invention relates to a composition of encapsulated sweeteners containing 1-40 wt. % of sweetening agents and 60-99 wt. % of vinyl acetate vinyl laurate copolymers, as well as a method for producing same and the use of same in confectionary, medicines or chewing gum.

Claims

1. A composition of an encapsulated sweetener, comprising 1-40 wt % of the sweetener, and 60-99 wt % of vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers, wherein: (a) the sweetener comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of aspartame, acesulfame K and sucralose, and (b) the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers have a monomer ratio of 4-15 wt % of vinyl laurate and 85-96 wt % of vinyl acetate.

2. The composition as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising 0-10 wt % of additives selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier and a fat.

3. The composition as claimed in claim 1, comprising 10-30 wt % of the sweetener, 70-90 wt % of the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers and 0-10 wt % of additives selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier and a fat.

4-5. (canceled)

6. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein weight-average molar mass of the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers is 10,000-250,000 g/mol.

7. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the emulsifier is a member selected from the group consisting of glycerol monostearate, acetylated glycerol esters of fatty acids, fatty acid esters of sucrose, diacetyltartaric acid esters of monoglycerides, lactic acid esters of monoglycerides, citric acid esters of monoglycerides and lecithin.

8. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fat is a member selected from the group consisting of unhydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and fully hydrogenated animal fats and vegetable oils.

9. A method for preparing a composition as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising: melting the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers at 70-140 C.; mixing the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers with the sweetener to provide a mixture; cooling the mixture to provide a cooled mixture; and comminuting the cooled mixture to provide the composition.

10. A method of using the composition as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising incorporating the composition into confectionery products, medicinal products or chewing gums.

11. The composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein a weight-average molar mass of the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers is 10,000-250,000 g/mol.

12. The composition as claimed in claim 11, wherein the emulsifier is a member selected from the group consisting of glycerol monostearate, acetylated glycerol esters of fatty acids, fatty acid esters of sucrose, diacetyltartaric acid esters of monoglycerides, lactic acid esters of monoglycerides, citric acid esters of monoglycerides and lecithin.

13. The composition as claimed in claim 12, wherein the fat is a member selected from the group consisting of unhydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and fully hydrogenated animal fats and vegetable oils.

14. A method for preparing a composition as claimed in claim 12, said method comprising: melting the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers at 70 140 C.; mixing the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers with the sweetener to provide a mixture; cooling the mixture to provide a cooled mixture; and comminuting the cooled mixture to provide the composition.

Description

[0022] The following examples serve to further illustrate the invention:

Example 1: Preparation of a Vinyl Acetate-Vinyl Laurate Copolymer

[0023] 3 kg of isopropanol together with 2 kg of vinyl laurate, 38 kg of vinyl acetate and 8 g of t-butyl peroxo-2-ethylhexanoate were initially charged in a stirred tank, and the polymerization was started by means of heating the initial mixture to 72 C. At the start, 8 g of t-butyl peroxo-2-ethylhexanoate were added and, during the polymerization, 100 g of t-butyl peroxo-2-ethylhexanoate in 1200 g of isopropanol were metered in within 5 h. After a further hour, the temperature is increased to 120 C. The tank is subsequently evacuated and solvent and residual monomers were distilled off.

[0024] The melt was discharged and cooled. A clear product was obtained, with a monomer composition (wt %) of 95% vinyl acetate and 5% vinyl laurate. The glass transition temperature was determined to be 37 C. using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The weight-average molar mass was measured at 105 000 g/mol using SEC (size exclusion chromatography).

Example 2: Preparation of a Vinyl Acetate-Vinyl Laurate Copolymer

[0025] 4 kg of isopropanol together with 4.8 kg of vinyl laurate, 35.2 kg of vinyl acetate and 10 g of t-butyl peroxo-2-ethylhexanoate were initially charged in a stirred tank, and the polymerization was started by means of heating the initial mixture to 72 C. At the start, 8 g of t-butyl peroxo-2-ethylhexanoate were added and, during the polymerization, 136 g of t-butyl peroxo-2-ethylhexanoate in 1500 g of isopropanol were metered in within 5 h. After a further hour, the temperature is increased to 120 C. The tank is subsequently evacuated and solvent and residual monomers are distilled off. The melt was discharged and cooled. A clear product was obtained, with a monomer composition (wt %) of 88% vinyl acetate and 12% vinyl laurate. The glass transition temperature was determined to be 32 C. using DSC. The weight-average molar mass was measured at 46 000 g/mol using SEC.

Example 3: Preparation of an Encapsulate Aspartame

[0026] 700 g of a vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymer from example 1 were melted in a double-Z kneader at 105 C. Subsequently, 300 g of fine crystalline aspartame were added, the mass was kneaded for a further 10 minutes at 105 C., and was then removed from the kneader. After cooling, the mass is comminuted in a mill. The aspartame concentration was determined to be 30% by HPLC.

Example 4: Preparation of Encapsulated Sucralose

[0027] 750 g of a vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymer from example 2 and 50 g of glycerol monostearate were melted in a double-Z kneader at 95 C. Subsequently, 200 g of powdered sucralose were added, the mass was kneaded for a further 10 minutes at 95 C., and was then removed from the kneader. After cooling, the mass is comminuted in a mill. The sucralose concentration was determined to be 20% by HPLC.

Example 5: Preparation of Encapsulated Acesulfame K

[0028] 700 g of a vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymer from example 1 were melted with 30 g of glycerol monostearate and 50 g of hydrogenated palm fat in a double-Z kneader at 100 C. Subsequently, 220 g of acesulfame K were added, the mass was kneaded for a further 5 minutes at 100 C., and was then removed from the kneader. After cooling, the mass is comminuted in a mill. The acesulfame K concentration was determined to be 22% by HPLC.

Example 6: Preparation of a Sugar-Free Chewing Gum (Comparative Example)

[0029] A chewing gum mass was prepared from 300 g of a gum base (Valencia T-PL/CAFOSA), 450 g of sorbitol, 108 g of xylitol, 50 g of mannitol, 75 g of maltitol syrup (Lycasin 80/55), 15 g of mint oil and 2.0 g of aspartame in a double-Z kneader at 54 C. The mass is cooled, rolled out to a thickness of approximately 1 mm and cut into strips of 2 g each.

Example 7: Preparation of a Sugar-Free Chewing Gum (According to the Invention)

[0030] The preparation was carried out as described in example 6, except that the 2 g of aspartame were replaced by 6.67 g of encapsulated aspartame (from example 3).

Example 8

[0031] The chewing gums from examples 6 and 7 were chewed by individual people for 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes. The remaining chewed mass was analyzed for the remaining aspartame content by HPLC.

[0032] The following table clearly shows the delayed release of the sweetener in the formulation according to the invention.

TABLE-US-00001 Recovery Recovery of of aspartame aspartame (example (example Chewing time 6) 7) 0 minutes 100% 100% 2 minutes 93% 98% 5 minutes 81% 95% 10 minutes 71% 81% 15 minutes 50% 79% 20 minutes 41% 69%