Mineral Technologies Mineral TechnologiesMinteqSpecialty Minerals
CareersCorporate ResponsibilityContact UsMSDSSitemapSearch
About SMIOur MineralsPaperSpecialty ApplicationsExhibitionsPublicationsUseful Links
 
Specialty Minerals Calcium Carbonates for Confectionery & and Chewing Gum

Delicious chocolates and cream fillings, hard and soft candies, baked goods frosting and chewing gum are only some of the confectionery uses for the precipitated and ground calcium carbonates (PCCs and GCCs) and ground limestones manufactured by Specialty Minerals Inc. (SMI).


Calcium Fortified Candy with Specialty Minerals Calcium Carbonates
Both soft and hard candies can be fortified with calcium using one of SMI’s calcium carbonates. With the highest elemental calcium content, 40 percent, calcium carbonate is the economical choice as a calcium source. It is also a highly bioavailable source of calcium—as bioavailable as the calcium in milk.

In soft candies like caramels and nougats, fortification is often accomplished with a higher-surface area, higher-oil absorption product, such as ViCALity® Extra Light, ultra-low lead CalEssence® 160 or European-made Calopake® Extra Light PCCs. The open structure of these products bodies and thickens the confectionery mix, improving processing and product consistency, while imparting a smooth, creamy texture.

Manufacturers of calcium-fortified hard candies may prefer a smaller calcium carbonate, such as the 0.7 micron ViCALity Albafil® or CalEssence® 70 PCC, to minimize effects on texture when using quantities of calcium carbonate sufficient to reach fortification levels. In less demanding applications, a larger PCC or the 4 micron ViCALity® GF GCC may be the economical choice.


Chocolates—Dietetic and Regular—With Specialty Minerals Calcium Carbonate
Sugarless, dietetic, or low-carbohydrate chocolate and coating chocolate use calcium carbonate in combination with an alternate sweetener to replace the sugar present in classic chocolates and chocolate bases. The calcium carbonate adds bulk, taking up the space formerly occupied by sugar, and reduces the carbohydrate content. Its high brightness also adds to the light or white color of milk and white chocolates (but may add too much whiteness to be used in some dark or semi-sweet chocolates). Calcium carbonate can also be used in marshmallow, cream, and other non-acidic fillings for chocolates. 

For the smoothest mouth feel in luxury chocolates, the formulator may prefer the small particle-sized ViCALity Albafil® PCC, with a particle size of 0.7 microns. One of the scalenohedral, open-structured, medium-size PCCs, such as ViCALity® Extra Light PCC or Calopake® Extra Light PCC, can be used when thickening of the chocolate base or product is desirable. Other options include the larger, 3 to 5 micron PCCs (such as ViCALity® Heavy PCC or Sturcal™ H PCC), the 4 micron ViCALity® GF GCC, and the Vicron® 15-15 FG ground limestone. Even though termed “larger”, these latter products are still below the size threshold at which a particle is detected orally. The choice depends on the sensory properties desired in the chocolate and the type of regulatory compliance required. 

PCC has also been used as the alkali in the dutching process for chocolate.


Frostings with Specialty Minerals Calcium Carbonates
The high brightness of calcium carbonate also makes it useful as a whitening extender in frostings for cookies, danish pastries, cakes, and other baked goods. Here, manufacturers typically use a food-grade calcium carbonate such as ViCALity® GF GCC or Vicron® FG food-grade limestone.


Specialty Minerals Talc and Calcium Carbonate in Chewing Gum
Two SMI minerals are used in manufacturing chewing-gum base and finished chewing gum products. Calcium carbonates serve as the masticating agent or texturizing filler in the gum: It helps give the gum the right amount of “chewiness.” Food-grade Vicron® limestones of 3.5 to 8.0 micron sizes are typically chosen for everyday use chewing gums. These are Vicron® 15-15 FG, 25-11 FG and 41-8 FG limestones. The larger-sized grade is used for gums where a looser chew is desired, and the smaller for gums meant to have a tighter chew. 

For gums with functional purpose—as a nutritional supplement or antacid—one of the USP or EP grades of PCCs is needed as the filler.

If the gum has a fruit flavor, then talc is used as the masticating agent. Fruits and fruit flavors tend to be acidic, and if calcium carbonate is used, it can react with the fruit acid; this generates carbon dioxide gas within the product, making bubbles in stick gums and cracking the shells of coated gum pieces. Talc is inert towards acids, and thus compatible with the fruit additives. USP grades of talc in the 2.0 to 6.5 micron particle-size range are used. These are SMI’s Microtalc® 15-38 USP, 60-30 USP and 98-30 USP talcs. The larger-sized talc is used for bubble gum, as it makes a looser chew, and the smaller in regular stick gums.

Talc is also used during gum base manufacture as a detackifier, to keep the gum base crumbs from sticking to each other. Both talc and calcium carbonate are used for dusting the sticks of gum—that is, the white powder on the product surface—to absorb any oils or other components that may migrate to the surface of the gum stick, which would make the gum adhere to the paper wrapper.

Use the links below to reach SMI web pages that will help guide your choice of calcium carbonate and talc for foods.

 

Learn more: