DRINKING STRAW WITH INTERNAL COATING

Abstract

A drinking straw having an internal coating for delivery of an active agent when the straw is used to consume a beverage is provided. The active agent includes sweetener, flavour, a nutrient and/or a pharmaceutical and optionally colour. The coating is prepared by mixing a modified cellulose with water to form a paste or gel. The coating is then used to coat the inside surface of a drinking straw to a thickness of up to 1 mm. The coating is dried to reduce the water content to less than 5% by weight. Liquid drawn through the straw breaks down the modified cellulose releasing the active agent into the liquid, for consumption.

Claims

1. A drinking straw comprising an elongate tubular body of an insoluble material, having an internal coating comprising a modified cellulose-based matrix containing an active agent dispersed within the matrix, the body sized to allow a carrier liquid to be drawn therethrough such that passage of the carrier liquid causes the matrix to progressively release the active agent into the carrier liquid to be consumed by a drinker, wherein the coating has a thickness of less than 1 mm.

2. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the modified cellulose is selected from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and combinations thereof

3. (canceled)

4. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the active agent comprises sweetener, flavouring, a nutrient and/or a pharmaceutical.

5. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the matrix comprises a non-drip formulation of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.

6. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the ratio of matrix to active agent is between 1:5 and 1:20

7. (canceled)

8. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness of 0.2-0.7 mm.

9. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness of up to 0.5 mm.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the coating contains less than 5% water by weight.

14. (canceled)

15. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the drinking straw is made of plastic.

16. The drinking straw of claim 1, wherein the coating dissolves into 100-500 ml of carrier liquid.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. A method of making a drinking straw having an internal coating, the method comprising the steps of: providing a drinking straw of an insoluble material; providing a coating material comprising a modified cellulose-base matrix and an active agent dispersed within the matrix; applying the coating to an internal surface of the drinking straw to a thickness of less than 1 mm; and drying the coating.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the modified cellulose is selected from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and combinations thereof.

21. (canceled)

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the coating is an adherent gel.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the coating is formulated to be non-drip.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the ratio of the matrix to the active agent in the coating is between 1:5 and 1:20.

25. (canceled)

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the thickness of the coating applied to the straw is between 0.2 mm and 0.7 mm.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the coating has a thickness of up to 0.5 mm.

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the coating is dried to less than 5% water by weight.

32. (canceled)

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the drinking straw is made of plastic.

34. A drinking straw comprising an elongate tubular body of an insoluble material, having an internal coating comprising a modified cellulose-based matrix containing an active agent dispersed within the matrix, the body sized to allow a carrier liquid to be drawn therethrough such that passage of the carrier liquid causes the matrix to progressively release the active agent into the carrier liquid to be consumed by a drinker, wherein the coating has a thickness of less than 1 mm, wherein the modified cellulose is hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose, and wherein the active agent is a sweetener or a flavouring.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0060] The invention is now illustrated in specific examples below.

Example 1

Drinking Straw with Lime Flavoured Coating

[0061] A coating for a drinking straw was prepared as follows:

[0062] 5 g of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was mixed with 10 g of water and the mixture heated to 42 C. to form a gel. The gel was cooled to room temperature, namely 20 C.

[0063] A flavour mix was prepared of 60 g of lime flavour, 5 g steviol glycosides, 5 g citric acid, and 0.4 g (4 drops) green colorant. 15 g of this mixture was added to the cooled gel to create a coating for drinking straws.

[0064] The coating was applied to the inside of 10 drinking straws. The straws had an 8 mm external diameter, a 7.6 mm internal diameter and were 22 cm in length. The coating was applied to the straw at a thickness of 0.25 mm using an appropriately sized mandrel. The coating was applied leaving a coating-free area at one end of 2 cm.

[0065] The coating was dried by passing cool, dry air through the straws for a period of 3 hours.

[0066] After drying the straw were wrapped in moisture resistant barrier packaging.

[0067] Such a straw was used to flavour water at 0 C. and provided flavour to approximately 350 ml consumed over a period of 10 minutes. Flavour was provided to the drink throughout that time with a residue only being left on the inside of the straw once the drink had been consumed.

Example 2

Drinking Straw with Chocolate Flavour Coating and Multivitamins

[0068] A coating was prepared by mixing 2 g of methylcellulose with 8 g water and the mixture stirred to form a thick paste.

[0069] Active agent was prepared by mixing 100 g chocolate flavour, 20 g glucose, 20 g of a commercial available multivitamin and mineral mix including vitamin C and a blend of B vitamins, calcium and iron.

[0070] 15 g of this active agent mixture was then added to the gel and combined, and this coating mixture was used to coat 30 straws, as described with reference to Example 1. The coating was applied to a thickness of 0.2 mm and the straws were dried also as set out above to a final water content in the coating of less than 2% by weight.

[0071] One advantage of providing vitamins for consumption in this form is that certain vitamins, in particular B vitamins, degrade in water. By providing them in a coating in a straw they are provided in a dry environment.

[0072] This straw is used to drink milk and provide flavour to 200-300 ml of milk at 5 C. when consumed over approximately 10 minutes.

Example 3

Drinking Straw with Analgesic Coating

[0073] An active agent mix was prepared by mixing 40 g ibuprofen with 5 g steviol glycosides, and 5 g mint flavour. 5 g of this mixture was added to a paste as described in Example 2 but using carboxymethylcellulose.

[0074] This mixture was used to coat 20 straws of the dimensions set out in Example 1, to a thickness of 0.2 mm.

[0075] The straws were then dried by passing cool air through them for a period of 1 hour. They were then wrapped in moisture resistant barrier packaging.

[0076] Such straws release the active agent into approximately 100 ml of water at room temperature, consumed over a period of 2 minutes.

Example 4

Drinking Straw with Energy Coating

[0077] An active agent mix was prepared by combining 5 g of a vitamin pre-mix containing vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and M-Inositol, 2 g of caffeine, 3 g of steviol glycosides, 16 g of lime flavour and 12 g of citric acid. 15 g of this mix was added to the hydroxypropyl methyl gel as described with reference to Example 1.

[0078] This mixture was used to coat 15 straws, which were then dried by passing cool air through them for a period of 3 hours, until the water content was reduced to less than 1%. The coating was applied to the straw at a thickness of 0.2 mm using an appropriately sized mandrel.

[0079] The straws were then wrapped in moisture impervious packaging.

[0080] Such a straw was used to flavour water at 20 C. and provided flavour to approximately 250 ml consumed over a period of 10 minutes.

[0081] The invention hence provides internally coated drinking straws with coating comprising a matrix and an active agent, and methods of making the same.