Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.

Atsuhiko Hirano

Takeshi Nagai

Kazutaka Nagashima

Akihiro Kishishita

Hirotoshi Ishida

Shinichi Kishimoto

Takehiko Kataoka

Satoshi Yamahara

One embodiment of the present invention provides a sweetener composition, which includes a mixture of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, and Acesulfame K, wherein a ratio of the Acesulfame K to a total amount of the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester and the Acesulfame K is in the range of 10 to 97% by weight, methods of making and of using. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparing a sweetener composition, which includes drying an A-type crystal of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester to obtain a C-type crystal of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for producing a sweetener, which includes admixing N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester with Acesulfame K, wherein a ratio of the Acesulfame K to a total amount of the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester and the Acesulfame K is in the range of 10 to 97% by weight. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for improving the dissolution rate of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, which includes, prior to dissolving the N-&lcub;N-(3,3 -dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, admixing the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester with Acesulfame K, wherein a ratio of the Acesulfame K to a total amount of the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester and the Acesulfame K is in the range of 10 to 97% by weight.

Sweetener composition

One embodiment of the present invention provides a sweetener composition, which includes N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, and Aspartame, wherein a ratio of the Aspartame to a total amount of the Aspartame and the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester is in the range of 10 to 99.5% by weight, methods of making and of using. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparing a sweetener composition, which includes drying an A-type crystal of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester to obtain a C-type crystal of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for producing a sweetener, which includes admixing N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester with Aspartame, wherein a ratio of the Aspartame to a total amount of the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester and the Aspartame is in the range of 10 to 99.5% by weight. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for improving the dissolution rate of N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, which includes, prior to dissolving the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, admixing the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-&agr;-aspartyl &rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester with Aspartame, wherein a ratio of the Aspartame to a total amount of the N-&lcub;N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L&agr;-aspartyl&rcub;-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester and the Aspartame is in the range of 10 to 99.5% by weight.

A process for quickly and reproducibly obtaining .alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester with controlled water content is disclosed. Wet crystals of .alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester obtained by crystallization are subjected to a drying step to adjust the water content to not more than 5 wt %, and subsequently a gas adjusted to a temperature of 20-80.degree. C. and relative humidity of 20-90 RH % is contacted with the dried crystals to control water content.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Atsuhiko Hirano