Taste masking product

1. A chewable chocolate or chocolate substitute composition or product comprising:

(a) at least an active ingredient to be delivered to a subject, wherein the active ingredient comprises a pharmaceutical compound or drug or a nutritional compound, mineral, vitamin, or herb;

(b) a compound or dark chocolate, wherein the compound or dark chocolate comprises at least 40% cocoa mass or dark chocolate substitute mass;

(c) a masking agent that masks at least part of the taste of the active ingredient in (a) wherein the masking agent comprises one or more hydrogenated ethoxylated glycerol esters;

(d) a suspending agent wherein the suspending agent comprises xanthan gum; and

(e) a firming agent wherein the firming agent comprises polyethylene glycol (PEG);

wherein the composition or product (i) is prepared in the absence of water and (ii) is substantially stable at ambient temperature, such that the composition or product is capable of being stored for at least 4 months at ambient temperature while preserving greater than 70% activity of the active ingredient of (a).

2. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the compound or dark chocolate comprises 40% to 70% cocoa mass or dark chocolate substitute mass.

3. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the masking agent comprises one or more hydrogenated ethoxylated castor oils.

4. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the compound or dark chocolate comprises 45% cocoa mass or dark chocolate substitute mass.

5. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the masking agent is present in an amount of about 5 to 20 percent dry weight of the final composition, the suspending agent is present in an amount of about 0.01 to 10 percent dry weight of the final composition, and the firming agent is present in an amount of about 5 to 25 percent dry weight of the final composition.

6. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the firming agent is an emulsifying or solubilizing agent for the active ingredient in (a).

7. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the composition or product comprises:

(a) the active ingredient to be delivered to a subject;

(b) the compound or dark chocolate wherein the compound or dark chocolate comprises at least 40% cocoa mass or dark chocolate substitute mass;

(c) a Cremophor;

(d) xanthan gum; and

(e) a PEG.

8. The chewable composition or product according to claim 7 , wherein the Cremophor is present in an amount of about 5 to 20 percent dry weight of the final composition, xanthan gum is present in an amount of about 0.01 to 10 percent dry weight of the final composition and the PEG is present in an amount of about 5 to 25 percent dry weight of the final composition.

9. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient of (a) is a bitter or unpleasant tasting active pharmaceutical compound.

10. The chewable composition or product according to claim 9 , wherein the bitter or unpleasant tasting active pharmaceutical compound is a sedative, anxiolytic, analgesic, or an antibiotic.

11. The chewable composition or product according to claim 9 , wherein (i) the bitter or unpleasant tasting active pharmaceutical compound is midazolam or a salt thereof, or midazolam hydrochloride, or tramadol or a salt thereof, or tramadol hydrochloride, or clindamycin or clindamycin hydrochloride.

12. A method of preparing the chewable chocolate or chocolate substitute composition or product of claim 1 , wherein the method includes the steps of:

a) mixing the active ingredient to be delivered to the subject and the masking agent and/or the suspending agent to produce a homogenous mixture;

b) combining the mixture of step (a) with the firming agent;

c) combining the mixture of step (b) with the chocolate or chocolate substitute,

wherein step (c) is performed for at least 4 hours to ensure that a substantially homogenous product is produced,

wherein the composition or product (i) is prepared in the absence of water and (ii) is substantially stable at ambient temperature, such that the composition or product is capable of being stored for at least 4 months at ambient temperature while preserving greater than 70% activity of the active ingredient of (a).

13. The method of preparing the chewable chocolate or chocolate substitute composition or product of claim 12 , wherein the method includes the steps of:

a) mixing midazolam hydrochloride or tramadol hydrochloride, Cremophor RH40, steviol glycoside, and xanthan gum, and optionally sodium chloride, using a stirrer hot plate set at about 55° C. until homogeneously dispersed;

b) combining polyethylene glycol to the mixture of step (a) and mixing;

c) combining the chocolate or chocolate substitute to the mixture of (b), stirring to melt and mixing until fully incorporated;

wherein the mixture of step (c) is then mixed for a further 16 hours to produce a homogeneous product.

14. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the compound or dark chocolate substitute is carob or cocoa powder comprising at least 40% carob or cocoa powder mass, respectively.

15. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the composition or product comprises the compound or dark chocolate in an amount of at least 50% of the total weight of the composition or product.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the method comprises mixing the active ingredient of midazolam hydrochloride in step (a).

17. The chewable composition or product according to claim 7 , wherein the Cremophor in part (c) is PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil (Cremophor RH40), and/or wherein the PEG in part (e) is PEG 1450; and optionally wherein the chewable composition or product further comprises steviol glycoside and optionally sodium chloride.

18. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the firming agent adds structure to the compound or dark chocolate and assists in emulsifying or solubilizing the active ingredient of (a).

19. The chewable composition or product according to claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient in (a) is selected from sedatives and anxiolytics, analgesics, antibiotics, antiparasitic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory drugs, or wormwood herb.