WO2002041701A1

WO2002041701A1 - Method for the preparation of a chewable composition and chewable product

Info

Publication number: WO2002041701A1
Application number: PCT/NL2001/000856
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gert Hendrik Vegter
Original assignee: Van Melle Nederland B.V.
Priority date: 2000-11-27
Filing date: 2001-11-23
Publication date: 2002-05-30
Also published as: AU2002222800A1; NL1016715C2

Abstract

The invention relates a method for the preparation of a chewable composition wherein a mixture that contains at least gluten, sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) and water is kneaded until the gluten molecules have undergone such a degree of unravelling that a chewable product having the desired properties is obtained, wherein the mass ratio of the gluten to the sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) is at least 1:1 and wherein, in particular, the following kneding conditions are used: a) temperature: 50-80oC; b) kneading energy: 50-800 kJ per kg mixture. The invention also relates to a chewable product based on a chewable composition obtained in accordance with method.

Description

Method for the preparation of a chewable composition and chewable product

The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a chewable composition in which a mixture that contains at least gluten, water and sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) is kneaded.

Chewable compositions in which gluten is used as the basis for chewing gum are disclosed in Netherlands Patent Application 7 205 956 (= BE 781 199, CA 969 414 or DE 2 232 218). In the preamble to this application it is stated that the reason why there is an abundance of such types of chewing gum lies in the fact that chewing gum based on gluten has outstanding properties compared with chewing gum in which another basis, for example polyvinyl acetate and chicle rubber, is used. Furthermore, it is stated that such a use of gluten is beneficial because it is an edible natural product and because it relates to a protein that is not dangerous for the human body. Gluten is thus not dangerous for the human body if it is swallowed accidentally and, rather, is used as a food. Nevertheless, it is stated in the abovementioned Netherlands patent application that chewing gum based on gluten has disadvantages, for example because gluten has too low a viscoelasticity, as a result of which the chewing gum prepared therewith is too soft for it to be chewed pleasantly. In order to eliminate these (alleged) disadvantages of gluten, according to the abovementioned Netherlands patent application more than 10 % denatured gluten is used as a basis for chewing gum. As an advantageous method for the preparation of (partially) denatured gluten it is indicated that a homogeneous mixture of 100 parts by mass gluten and more than approximately 100 parts by mass water (therefore more water than gluten) is heated until the desired degree of denaturing has been obtained.

On the basis of the prior art described above one will not be inclined to use vital gluten in a basis for chewing gum because it could then be expected that a product with unsatisfactory chewing characteristics would be obtained.

According to the invention this prejudice is overcome. Specifically, it has been found that a chewable composition with desired properties can be prepared by kneading a mixture that contains at least gluten, sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) and water until the gluten molecules (protein molecules wound into one another) have undergone such a degree of "unravelling" that a chewable product with the desired properties is obtained.

Incidentally, chewing gum compositions that contain wheat gluten are reported in WO 94/17673. The description of the prior art on pp. 1 - 3 of this publication must be regarded as incorporated here. This discussion of the prior art concludes with the following: "Despite the use of gluten in other fields, gluten's use in the chewing gum field has been hampered by a number of organoleptic factors, and no gluten based chewing gum has gained wide acceptance in the American market, regardless of the advantages of a degradable, edible chewing gum".

The invention in WO 94/17673 is based on the combination of gluten with a

"texturizing agent" which serves to modify the elastic lattice structure of the gluten without destroying the matrix and to assist in a uniform hydration of the gluten. Whey and rice protein are used as such "texturizing agents". This literature citation makes no mention of an unravelling of the gluten modules in the sense of the present invention.

European Patent Application EP-A 1 066 759, which was published after the priority date of the present application, describes a method in which chewing gum-like products are prepared by mixing wheat gluten with a non-aqueous medium that contains less than 20 % water, kneading the mixture thus obtained at a temperature of between 50 and 90 °C until at least 75 % of the maximum torsion has been achieved and then by bringing the gluten into the desired form. The formulations described in this European application either contain no added sugars or sugar substitutes or contain more sugars than gluten.

The aim of the invention is to obtain edible, nutritious and readily digestible chewing gum products with a finite chewing time that can be personally determined, which have a good taste and sweetness and which have good organoleptic properties.

To this end the starting material for the method according to the invention is a mixture that contains gluten, sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) and water, wherein the mass ratio of the gluten to the sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) is at least 1:1 and wherein, in particular, the following kneading conditions are employed: a) temperature: 50 - 80 °C; b) shear or kneading energy: 50 - 800 kJ, preferably 100 - 600 kJ, for example 300 kJ, per kg mixture.

Preferably, the kneading time used is 5 - 50 minutes, more particularly 10 - 30 minutes. With the method according to the invention a mixture is preferably used that contains at least:

30 - 60 % (m/m) gluten; 10 - 50 % (m/m) sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s); 10 - 30 % (m/m) water; the cited amounts being based on the total mass of the mixture, and optionally other conventional constituents, the sum of all constituents being 100 % (m/m).

In the chewable composition according to the invention the conventional sugars or sugar substitutes are used on the one hand as sweetener and on the other hand as structuring agent. The amount of sugar will in general be somewhat lower than the amount of gluten in the mixture from which the chewable composition according to the invention is prepared.

Preferably, the gluten sugar mass ratio will be in the range from 1 : 1 to approximately 3 :2.

Gluten of a wide variety of types can be used in the method according to the invention, but wheat gluten, in particular non-modified vital wheat gluten is preferred.

The sugar used is preferably a fractose-containing glucose syrup, but a wide variety of conventional sugars or sugar mixtures or sugar substitutes are possible.

In addition to the abovementioned ingredients, the constituents and additives customary in the state of the art for chewable compositions, for example rice starch, hardened coconut fat, gum arabic and the like, can be incorporated in the mixture according to the invention.

It is also possible to extend the shelf life of the product with antimicrobiological agents or antioxidants. It is obvious that the taste and the colour of the chewable product can be adjusted by adding suitable flavourings and/or colourants. A basic formulation for a mixture from which a good chewable composition can be prepared according to the invention is as follows: 40 - 50 % (m/m) dried wheat gluten; 30 - 40 % (m/m) fructose-containing glucose syrup; 3 - 5 % (m/m) rice starch; 3 - 5 % (m/m) hardened coconut fat; 5 - 10 % (m/m) spray-dried gum arabic; 10 - 18 % (m/m) water.

Instead of fructose-containing glucose syrup it is possible to use a sugar substitute, for example xylitol in an amount of, for example, 20 - 30 %. The amount of gum arabic can then be somewhat higher, for example 5 - 15 % (m/m), whilst the amount of water can also be higher, for example 15 - 25 % (m/m).

Kneading of the starting mixture according to the invention takes place in conventional kneading machines, for example a single screw kneading machine operating continuously. For this procedure the kneading machine is heated to the desired temperature of between 50 and 80 °C. The shear force or kneading energy is adjusted by means of kneading speed and capacity. Feeding can be batchwise, but is preferably continuous.

In the following examples ten tests are described which are representative of the method according to the invention. In all cases a readily chewable product having desired organoleptic properties is obtained.

Raw materials Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Test 5 % (m/m) % (m/m) % (m m) % (m/m) % (m/m)

Wheat gluten 46 44 42 40 40 Fructose/glucose syrup 36 35 34 33 32 Rice starch - 5 5 5 5 Coconut fat - 3 Gum arabic -. _ 5 10 10 Water 18 16 14 12 10

Water content 27.5 25 23.4 21.4 19.2

Raw materials Test 6 Test 7 Test 8 Test 9 Test 10 % (m/m) % (m/m) % (m m) % (m m) % (m/m)

Wheat gluten 46 44 42 40 40 Xylitol 29 28.5 27.2 26.4 25.6 Coconut fat - - - - 3 Gum arabic - 5 10 15 15 Water 25 22.5 20.8 18.6 16.4

Water content 27.3 25 23.4 21.4 19.2

The water content is a calculated value, depending on the raw materials used.

Method of preparation:

• LR100- 15D continuous kneading machine from Buss; • filled with low-shear elements;

• the speed is 25 - 50 rpm;

• the capacity is 15 kg per hour;

Structure and hardness are determined by a rheology instrument (UDS and a Texture Analyser); Chewing time is determined by an indicative panel;

Shelf life is determined by storing in controlled-climate cabinets and testing for microbiological and oxidative properties.

Claims

1. Method for the preparation of a chewable composition wherein a mixture that contains at least gluten, sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) and water is kneaded until the gluten molecules have undergone such a degree of unravelling that a chewable product having the desired properties is obtained, wherein the mass ratio of the gluten to the sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) is at least 1 : 1 and wherein, in particular, the following kneading conditions are used: a) temperature: 50 - 80 °C: b) kneading energy: 50 - 800 kJ per kg mixture.

2. Method according to Claim 1, wherein the kneading time is 5 - 50 minutes.

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the mixture contains: 30 - 60 % (m/m) gluten;

10 - 50 % (m/m) sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s); 10 - 30 % (m/m) water; the cited amounts being based on the total weight of the mixture, and optionally other conventional constituents, the sum of all constituents being 100 % (m/m).

4. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the mass ratio of the gluten to the sugar(s) or sugar substitute(s) is in the range from 1 : 1 to 3 :2.

5. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the gluten originates from wheat.

6. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the gluten is non-modified vital wheat gluten.

7. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the sugar used is fructose-containing glucose syrup.

8. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the other constituents used are rice starch, hardened coconut fat and/or gum arabic.

9. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein antimicrobiological agents, antioxidants, flavourings and/or colourants are incorporated in the mixture.

10. Chewable product based on a chewable composition that can be obtained by the method of one or more of the preceding claims.