Sugar free chewing gum coating formula is improved with high purity maltitol syrup

Crunchy coating on sugar free chewing gum benefits from slower crystallizing maltitol 

Sugar free chewing gum dominates the chewing gum market in many countries. Most chewing gum innovations like blended fruit flavors and the addition of liquids are coming from sugar free chewing gum makers.  Many of these sugar free chewing gum products include a familiar smooth and crunchy coating. Crystalline maltitol is often used to create these crunchy coatings but Cargill has found that high purity maltitol syrup has benefits beyond what crystalline maltitol offers.        

Maltitol, a polyol, offers many benefits when used in crunchy sugar free gum coatings.

• Non-cariogenic (tooth friendly)
• Easy to integrate into the production process
• Low Calorie
• Creates a smooth and shiny surface
• Resistant to changes in humidity and temperatures
• Good flavor release
• Good solubility and low hygroscopicity

Crystalline maltitol has traditionally been used to create crunchy coatings. It is a white crystalline powder that is easy to integrate into the production process. The crystallization speed on the chewing gum production line is fast when using crystalline maltitol. A fast crystallization process can be efficient but it can also lead to increases in product breakages on the line. This can lead to higher rates of defective finished product.  Consumers expect perfectly smooth and appealing looking coatings so, coating defects in the form of cracks and chips are not acceptable.    

The idea of using high purity maltitol syrup came from a customer request to improve finished product defects on the manufacturing line. High purity maltitol syrup is a minimum of ≥ 95% maltitol on a dry basis. Using high purity maltitol syrup creates a slight delay in crystallization compared to crystalline maltitol. As a result of this slight delay, there is less product breakage on the production line. High purity maltitol syrup coating is slightly softer than crystalline maltitol for a longer period of time, so it can absorb impacts that could make crystalline maltitol coatings crack. This slight delay has no impact on finished product coating appearances or crunchiness.      

This process improvement brings cost efficiencies not just in lower coating defect rates but also in the cost of ingredients. High purity maltitol syrup has a cost advantage over crystalline maltitol because it is already in liquid form, making it ready to use in coatings unlike crystalline maltitol.

In order to incorporate high purity maltitol syrup as an ingredient in chewing gum coatings, a liquid holding tank is needed. The holding tank represents an additional expense but with improved process costs, lower product breakage rates and its ease of use, the return on investment for a high purity maltitol syrup holding tank would be realized not long after implementation.     

High purity maltitol syrup is available in Europe and North America.