Patent ID: 6423336
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: A23G,A61K

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a chewing gum comprising the steps of:a) Entrapping a liquid within a mass of gum; b) cooling the gum to freeze the entrapped liquid and thereby form entrapped frozen liquid crystals within the gum; and c) regulating the temperature of the gum by using at least one of freeze-thaw texturising or ice annealing to manipulate at least one of the size or morphology of the frozen liquid crystals, and thereby manipulate the internal structure of the gum to provide a gum having spaces therein of a plate-like or sheet-like shape, the spaces being of average size greater than the average maximum size of individual liquid volumes which can be incorporated in a gum matrix, and such that, in use, chewing of the manufactured gum results in a sustained release of the contents of the plate-like or sheet-like spaces.