DK200401200A - A method for producing chewing gum products, and compressed chewing gum tablets - Google Patents

Description

PATENT CLAIMS 1. A method for producing chewing gum products, which method comprises at least the steps of feeding a gum composition including at least gum base into an extruder, pressurizing the gum composition in the extruder, extruding the gum composition through a die plate, cutting the extruded gum composition in a liquid filled chamber, characterized in that the cutting in the liquid filled chamber produces gum granules of weights per granule in the range of 0.0001 g to 0.008 g, and that the extruded and cut granules are conveyed in a further step to a tablet pressing apparatus and included in compressed chewing gum tablets. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said weight per granule is in the range of 0.0003 g to 0.008 g. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight per granule for at least a first fraction of the granules is in the range of 0.0003 g to 0.003 g, preferably less than 0.002 g. 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weight per granule for at least a second fraction of the granules is in the range of 0.002 to 0.02 g, preferably in the range from 0.002 to 0.008 g, suitable in the range from 0.002 g to 0.0 05 9· 5. A method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the granules in a first fraction has a first average weight which is lower than the average weight of a second fraction of the extruded granules. 6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gum composition in step c) is extruded though die openings in a die plate having openings of at least two different sizes to simultaneously obtain granules with different average weights. 7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cut granules are cooled in water during transfer from the liquid filled chamber to a dewatering device, and that the transfer time from cutting to de-watering is less than 6 s, preferably less than 4 s. 8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the further step of dusting or coating the granules in between de-watering and conveyance to the tablet pressing apparatus. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the dusting or coating is made with ingredients selected from the group comprising magnesium stearate, cornstarch, sugar compounds, polyols, cellulose ethers, acrylic polymers and copolymers, sweeteners, flavours, waxes, or colours, and preferably the dusting or coating is made with the sweetener sorbitol. 10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the further step of classifying the granules prior to conveyance to the tablet pressing apparatus . 11. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and comprising the further step of mixing the extruded granules with one or more ingredients selected from the group comprising flavours, bulk sweeteners, intense sweeteners, colouring agents, fillers, nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and tabletting aids . 12. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the gum composition in step a) is gum base. 13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the gum composition includes one or more flavouring agents when extruded in step c). 14. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the gum composition includes one or more sweeteners, preferably intense sweeteners, when extruded in step c). 15. Use of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 in the production of compressed chewing gum tablets. 16. Compressed chewing gum tablets obtained by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 15. 17. Compressed chewing gum tablets according to claim 16, wherein the tablets have a weight in the range of 0.5 g to 2.5 g per tablet, preferably from 0.6 g to 1.5 g per tablet. 18. Compressed chewing gum tablets according to claim 17, wherein the individual tablet includes at least 3 5 granules of a gum composition comprising at least 51 % Wt. of gum base. 19. Compressed chewing gum tablets according to claim 18, wherein the gum composition of said granules comprises flavour and/or intense sweetener. 20. Compressed chewing gum tablets according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the individual tablet includes at least 125 granules of gum composition, and one or more additional components, such as bulk sweetener powder, flavours, nutrients, pharmaceuticals, or fillers.