Method for producing sweetener compositions and sweetener compositions

Abstract

Provided herein are compositions with enhanced sweetness or reduced caloric content per weight when compared to the sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol component thereof, and methods for the preparation thereof.

1 .- 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A sweetener composition comprising one or more sweetener carbohydrates or sweetener polyols and a carrier compound; wherein the carrier compound has an average particle size of at least 1 micron; the sweetener composition has enhanced sweetness compared to a control composition; and the control composition consists of the same contents by identity and quantity as the sweetener composition but without the carrier compound. 
     
     
         8 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , comprising about 6.0-12.0% carrier compound weight/weight relative to a sum of total sweetener carbohydrate and sweetener polyol. 
     
     
         9 . The sweetener composition of  claim 8 , comprising up to 6.0% carrier compound weight/weight relative to a sum of total sweetener carbohydrate and sweetener polyol. 
     
     
         10 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more sweetener carbohydrates are sucrose, glucose, maltose, lactose, high fructose corn syrup, high maltose corn syrup, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The sweetener composition of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more sweetener carbohydrates are sucrose, glucose, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The sweetener composition of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more sweetener carbohydrates are high fructose corn syrup. 
     
     
         13 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the sweetener polyol is selected from the group consisting of xylitol, maltitol, erythritol, sorbitol, threitol, arabitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH), isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, galactitol (dulcitol), and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier compound is chitosan. 
     
     
         15 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier compound is silica. 
     
     
         16 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , further comprising an artificial sweetener, a natural sugar substitute, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The sweetener composition of  claim 18 , comprising an artificial sweetener, wherein the artificial sweetener is selected from the group consisting of: acesulfame potassium, advantame, alitame, aspartame, sodium cyclamate, dulcin, glucin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, neotame, P-4000, saccharin, aspartame-acesulfame salt, and sucralose. 
     
     
         20 . The sweetener composition of  claim 18 , comprising a natural sugar substitute, wherein the natural sugar substitute is selected from the group consisting of: brazzein, curculin, glycyrrhizin, glycerol, inulin, mogroside, mabinlin, malto-oligosaccharide, mannitol, miraculin, monatin, monellin, osladin, pentadin, stevia, tagatose, and thaumatin. 
     
     
         21 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the sweetener composition is formulated as particles. 
     
     
         22 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises at least 90% sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol and carrier compound by weight. 
     
     
         25 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition consists essentially of sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol and carrier compound. 
     
     
         26 . The sweetener composition of  claim 25 , wherein the composition consists of sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol and carrier compound. 
     
     
         27 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A sweetener composition formulation comprising the sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the formulation is a syrup. 
     
     
         30 . A sweetener composition formulation comprising the sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the formulation comprises water. 
     
     
         31 . A composition comprising a consumable product comprising the sweetener composition of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the consumable product is selected from the group consisting of food products, beverage products, pharmaceutical products, and hygiene products. 
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the consumable product contains up to 2% silica. 
     
     
         34 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the consumable product is less bitter than a control product, wherein the control product is identical to the consumable product but lacks the sweetener composition of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         35 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises one or more sweetener carbohydrates. 
     
     
         38 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises one or more sweetener polyols. 
     
     
         39 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises one or more sweetener carbohydrates and one or more sweetener polyols. 
     
     
         40 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition lacks an artificial sweetener. 
     
     
         41 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition lacks a natural sugar substitute. 
     
     
         42 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier compound has an average particle size of up to 60 microns. 
     
     
         43 . The sweetener composition of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier compound has a specific surface area of at least 120 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         44 . The sweetener composition formulation of  claim 29 , wherein the syrup has a ratio of total sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol to a solvent of at least 5:95.