Sugar substitute prepared with nutritive and high-intensity sweeteners

Abstract

A sweetener composition and a method of producing it. The composition contains granules having a core and a layer on the core. The core contains one or more nutritive sweeteners, such as sucrose, and the layer on the core contains sucralose. The layer may optionally contain a binder and / or non-nutritive sweeteners in addition to sucralose. The composition may contain (other than materials of no essential significance) only such granules, or it may include such granules admixed with granules containing only nutritive sweeteners (such as sucrose). Compositions of the invention may exhibit a variety of advantages, including good sweetness homogeneity and good stability under accelerated aging conditions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to high-intensity sweeteners. More particularly, the invention relates to granular sweetener compositions including a mixture of a nutritive sweeter and a high-intensity sweetener, in a form that minimizes separation of these components during shipping and handling. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Sucralose, 4,1′,6′-trichloro-4,1′,6′-trideoxygalactosucrose, a sweetener with a sweetness intensity several hundred times that of sucrose, is made from sucrose by replacing the hydroxyl groups in the 4, 1′, and 6′ positions with chlorine. Synthesis of sucralose is technically challenging because of the need to selectively replace specific hydroxyl groups with chlorine atoms, while preserving other hydroxyl groups including a highly reactive primary hydroxyl group. Numerous approaches to this synthesis have been developed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,869; U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,962; U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,463; and ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Synthesis of sucralose is technically challenging because of the need to selectively replace specific hydroxyl groups with chlorine atoms, while preserving other hydroxyl groups including a highly reactive primary hydroxyl group.

Typically, many such needles are broken, which produces undesirable dust.

The high L / D values makes such crystalline sucralose difficult to handle.

Among such difficulties is poor flow, which makes the crystalline sucralose difficult to incorporate into formulations with other ingredients.

Furthermore, such crystals of sucralose may not be suitable for use in certain consumer products such as sweetener packets for use by a consumer in sweetening food items such as beverages.

As a result, mixtures of these two components may separate to some degree during shipping and handling, resulting in unpredictable levels of sweetening when the consumer dispenses the product.