Sweetening composition and process therefor

Claim 1

Process for stabilizing L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester crystals into a particulate form adapted to be intermixed with other powderous materials and be free-flowing therewith which comprises admixing said ester crystals and a fusing and matrix-forming material selected from the group consisting of dried coffee extract, whey, low dextrose equivalent starch polymers in an intermixture with a polyol and protein extracts selected from the group consisting of gelatin and keratin, said matrix-forming material having a moisture content less than 10%, said material being molten at a temperature at or below 370° F, solidifying into a solid mass when cooled to below its melting point and retaining a thermosetting solid condition at ambient temperatures; heating the admixture of said ester crystals and said fusing and matrix-forming material to a temperature sufficient to convert said fusing and matrix-forming material into a continuous molten condition but below the melting point of the ester crystals wherein the ester crystals are discretely distributed; cooling the molten mass to fuse the same and permanently fix the ester crystals in a dispersed phase; and sub-dividing the cooled mass to a particular size thereby producing particles which encapsulate the crystals distributed therein.