| abstract |
This invention pertains to sweetened chewing gum compositions which comprise (A) a gum base; (B) a bulking agent; (C) a flavoring agent; and (D) an encapsulated synergistic sweetening agent composition which comprises (a) a synergistic combination of N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester and the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide, wherein the synergistic combination is present in an amount from about 0.01% to about 50%, by weight of the encapsulated sweetening agent composition; (b) an emulsifier present in amount from about 0.5% to about 20%, by weight of the encapsulated sweetening agent composition, and selected from the group consisting of lecithin, ester of stearates, esters of palmitates, esters of oleates, esters of glycerides, sucrose polyesters, polyglycerol esters, and mixtures thereof; and (c) polyvinyl acetate, having a molecular weight from about 2,000 to about 14,000, present in an amount from about 40% to about 93%, by weight of the encapsulated sweetening agent composition; wherein N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester is present in an amount from about 0.065% to about 0.095%, by weight of the chewing gum composition. This invention also pertains to methods for preparing the encapsulated synergistic sweetening agent compositions and the chewing gum compositions in which they may be employed. |