Confectionery Composition Including an Elastomeric Component and a Cooked Saccharide Component
The present invention relates to confectionery compositions including cooked saccharide including polyols such as maltitol, erythritol, and isomalt, and a chewing gum base.
1 - 142 . (canceled)
143 . An edible composition comprising a cooked saccharide portion and an elastomeric portion, wherein said cooked saccharide portion includes a polyol selected from the group consisting of maltitol, erythritol, isomalt, and combinations thereof.
144 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein at least one of said elastomeric portion and said cooked saccharide portion includes at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of sensates, flavors, sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, and functional ingredients.
145 . The edible composition as in claim 144 , wherein at least a portion of said at least one ingredient is encapsulated.
146 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein said elastomeric portion further comprises a delivery system.
147 . The edible composition as in claim 147 , wherein said delivery system comprises at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of sensates, flavors, sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners and functional ingredients; and at least one encapsulating material.
148 . The edible composition as in claim 147 , wherein said delivery system has a tensile strength of at least 6,500 psi.
149 . The edible composition as in claim 147 , wherein said delivery system has a water-retention value of up to about 5% or about 10% or about 15% as measured according to ASTM D570-98.
150 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , further comprising a texture modifying component.
151 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , further including a coating.
152 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , further including a center-fill material wherein said center-fill material includes a powder, a liquid, or a combination thereof.
153 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein said cooked saccharide portion and said elastomeric portion form a homogenous mixture.
154 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein said elastomeric portion and said cooked saccharide portion are designed to withstand vigorous mixing without the incorporation of air into said mixture such that a homogeneous mixture of said elastomeric portion and said cooked saccharide portion results.
155 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , where in said elastomeric portion is 5-95% by weight of the edible composition.
156 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein said cooked saccharide portion has a moisture content of no more than 2% by weight of said cooked saccharide portion.
157 . An edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein the amount of said elastomeric portion and the amount of said cooked saccharide portion are selected to provide a desired texture.
158 . The edible composition as in claim 157 , wherein the desired texture provides an initial hardness that is the same as a hard candy as measured by sensory testing techniques.
159 . The edible composition as in claim 157 , wherein the desired texture provides an initial texture that is the same as a hard candy and a final texture that is the same as a chewing gum.
160 . The edible composition as in claim 157 , wherein the desired texture provides a transformation as measured by sensory testing techniques.
161 . The edible composition as in claim 157 , wherein the desired texture provides an initial crunch that is the same as the initial crunch of a hard panned confection as measured by sensory testing techniques.
162 . The edible composition as in 143 , wherein the edible composition has a surface gloss appearance that is the same as the surface gloss appearance of a hard panned product as measured by optometric equipment.
163 . An edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein at least a portion of said edible composition is in a ground particulate form.
164 . An edible composition as in claim 143 , wherein at least a portion of said edible composition is in a compressed form.
165 . The edible composition as in claim 143 , further comprising a cooked sugar component.
166 . An edible composition comprising a elastomeric portion and a cooked polyol wherein said cooked polyol is selected from the group consisting of isomalt, erythritol, lactitol, galactitol, and combinations thereof.
167 . The edible composition of claim 166 comprising a cooked saccharide portion and a elastomeric portion, where said cooked saccharide portion consists essentially of isomalt.