Title:  Center-filled supplement gum

United States Patent:  6,491,540

Issued:  December 10, 2002

Inventors:  Barreca; Jack (180 Cook St., #210, Denver, CO 80206)

Appl. No.:  664630

Filed:  September 19, 2000

A gum, lollipop and lozenge having at least two separate components, the first component having desirable taste characteristics and the second component having a diet control composition incorporated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following table contains a list of possible components that may be incorporated into the center of the gum, lollipop and lozenge aspects of the present invention:
 

The following U.S. issued patents are also incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,989 by Hasimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,475 by Norquist et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,883 by Block et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,109 by Nakamura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,367 by Ecanow, U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,850 by Thakur et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,952 by Vournakis et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,023 by Furda. It will therefore be appreciated by one of skill in the art that various compositions, formulations, masking agents (e.g., to "mask" unpleasant flavors and/or textures and/or mouth feel characteristics of vitamins, medicinal compounds, minerals, etc.) and binders can be combined with the present structure of the present invention to achieve various desired purposes. For example, controlled release formulations are encompassed by the present invention as are the preparation and use of various different carrier vehicles useful for medicinally administering compositions to animals, time release formulations, compositions having desirable solubility and dissolution rates, and the incorporation into the present invention of food additives such as vitamins, pharmaceutical preparations and other compounds, specifically those that reduce the absorption of lipids such a chitosan.

Both the gum with liquid-type fillers and the sucker with a gum-based center can be comprised of one or more of the following: xanthan, guar, locust bean gum, karaya, gum tragacanth, carrageenans, alginates, gum arabic, corn syrup, sugar, starches, gum bases. While multiple recipes exist, most candy substances can also be made from natural and herbal substitutes listed in Table II. The cavities that are extruded in both the gum and the lollipop can be made with one or more cavities that can be filled with multiple bio-enhancing and weight management substances, compiling all or some of the properties in Table II. The combination of them will achieve various results. Example: Guarana and malluang and chitosan will create energy and a feeling of "fullness" for the consumer; chromium picolinate (RE. 33, 988) and ginseng and ginger will allow the user to burn calories more efficiently).

The amounts of all or some of these ingredients can vary between no less than about 0.05 mg to more than about 30 mg. The size of the gum exterior can be made of a size less than 4.5 grams to more than 18.4 grams with the cavity center being able to accommodate a volume between 0.5 mg to more than 5 grams. The lollipop can be a total size of less than 0.65 oz. with the cavity center being a volume of no more than 0.42 oz. and no less than 4.5 grams, to a size larger than 1.35 oz. with a cavity center being of at least 19 grams.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that further modifications and adaptations of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claim 1 of 22 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A chewing gum consisting essentially of a first substance comprised of gum configured so as to have at least one cavity capable of retaining a liquid or semi-liquid substance, said liquid or semi-liquid substance having an active ingredient consisting essentially of guarana in an amount of at least about 0.05 mg and up to 5 grams.
 

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