EP0938301B1 — Directly compressible lactitol and method

USPTO Abstract

A directly compressible non-cariogenic free-flowing lactitol granulate comprising milled lactitol and a physiologically acceptable, binder taken from the group consisting of sugar alcohols, polymerized reducing sugars, alkali carboxymethylcellulose, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, hydroxypropylcellulose, physiologically acceptable cellulose derivatives, polyvinylpyrrolidone, gum arabic, and other physiologically acceptable gums. The granulate is directly compressible, and manifests the taste profile, metabolic, and non-cariogenic properties of lactitol. In one embodiment, the milled lactitol is present in the granulate in the range of about 70% to about 98% by dry weight and the physiologically acceptable, non-cariogenic binder is present in the granulate in the range of about 2% to about 30% by dry weight. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the granulate consists of 70-98% milled lactitol and 2-30% of a lactitol binder.