Chewable Soft Capsule Shell Formulation for Stability and Chewiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chewable soft capsules have unsatisfactory chewiness and stability issues, leading to shape deformation and adhesion, while filled jelly sweets face complications in production processes resulting in limited fill content and mouth feel, along with issues like syrup explosion and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A chewable soft capsule shell formulation comprising gelatin, water retention agents like glycerol, and thickening agents, with specific ratios and processing steps to achieve a uniform thickness and improved mouth feel, suitable for liquid, fluid, or paste forms, and a method for preparing filled jelly sweets with enhanced fill content and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plasticizer content is increased to improve softness and chewiness of capsule shell, then the capsule shell becomes softer and more chewable, but the capsule may deform or adhere due to extrusion between capsules, shortening shelf life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the capsule shell by introducing specific additives (citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, and their esters) that alter the polymer structure and intermolecular forces, enabling the shell to maintain chewiness without requiring excessive plasticizer content that would cause deformation and adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite capsule shell formulation by combining gelatin with multiple functional additives (acids, esters, and their derivatives) that work synergistically to provide both chewability and structural stability, preventing the shell from deforming or adhering during storage
2Ease of operation
If water content is maintained at relatively high level (up to 27%) to provide softness, then the capsule maintains chewability, but the capsule may adhere to each other due to extrusion, shortening shelf life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the water content parameter within a controlled range (10-25%) and compensates for the potential adhesion issue by introducing hydrophobic additives (fatty acid esters, waxes) that reduce surface energy and prevent capsule adhesion during storage while maintaining softness
3Manufacturing precision
If shell thickness is increased to uniformly encapsulate contents, then encapsulation is improved, but the mouth feel is limited and the fill content proportion is reduced to merely 8-15%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a flexible, thin capsule shell with optimized mechanical properties through the addition of chewability-enhancing agents that allow the shell to be made thinner (reducing thickness to below 2mm) while maintaining sufficient strength and elasticity to uniformly encapsulate contents without breaking during filling and storage
4Manufacturing precision
If sweet shell thickness is far greater than 2mm in filled jelly sweets, then the shell can uniformly encapsulate contents, but the mouth feel of product is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the same thin-film shell technology to filled jelly sweets, creating a flexible shell thinner than 2mm that maintains uniform encapsulation capability while significantly improving mouth feel through enhanced chewability and reduced thickness perception in the consumer's mouth
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The soft capsule shell provides good chewiness and stability, preventing deformation and leakage, and the filled jelly sweets have a higher fill content with improved mouth feel and stability, reducing issues like decentration and leakage, and extending shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
swelling gelatin with water, then heating to dissolve gelatin to form a gelatin solution
Implementation Method 2
mixing the transparent solution A and the substance B, stirring homogeneously then vacuum degassing to obtain a mixture gum solution
Implementation Method 3
allowing the mixture gum solution obtained in step 3) to flow into a gum box, then flow from the gum box to a rubber wheel under the gum box, regulating to form a gum film with uniform thickness
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a chewable soft capsule shell and a chewable soft capsule, and to a filled jelly sweet and a process for preparing a chewable soft capsule shell or filled jelly sweet, wherein the chewable soft capsule shell comprises gelatin 10%-50%, water retention agent 10%-40%, thickening agent 2%-20%, water 6%-20%, and said soft capsule shell has a thickness of 0.3-1.2mm.