Flavor compositions comprising methyl n-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)propyl]aspartylphenylalaninat

Abstract

A flavor composition is provided. The composition includes advantame; and at least one taste modifier selected from the group consisting of i) a sweetness modifier comprising a dihydrochalcone, ii) a positive allosteric modulator of the human sweet taste receptor, and iii) combinations thereof.

Description

[0001] COMPOSITIONS TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods, which use advantame in combination with various taste modifiers. More particularly the present disclosure relates to the use of advantame in combination with sweetness modifiers and / or positive allosteric modulators, in flavor compositions and consumables, to improve the sweetness intensity and modulate sweet quality of sweet-tasting substances. BACKGROUND Compounds for modifying the taste of consumable products, that is, products taken orally either for ingestion or spitting out, such as foodstuffs, beverages, confectionery, oral care products and the like are widely used. They do not themselves add flavor to the consumable, but they provide desirable ancillary benefits, such as enhanced mouthfeel and / or sweetness, or masking undesirable characteristics of other ingredients, such as the distinctive tastes and textures perceived as unappealing of products containing sugar replacers. In the case of sugar replacers, the tastes they impart can present different temporal profiles, flavor-profiles or adaptation behaviors compared with the sugars which they replace, in whole or in part. For example, the sweet taste of natural and synthetic high-intensity sweeteners (HIS), is generally slower in onset and longer in duration than the sweet taste produced by sugar (sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, including glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and lactose) or high fructose corn syrups (HFCS) which is known as a replacement for sugar, and this can change the taste balance of an edible composition containing them. This can create unbalanced temporal taste profiles. In addition to the difference in temporal profile, high- intensity sweeteners generally exhibit lower maximal response than sugar; off-tastes including bitter, metallic, cooling, astringent, licorice-like taste and / or sweetness, which diminishes on iterative tasting. However, all high-intensity sweeteners have undesirable after-taste in the form of off- notes, such as liquorice-like after-taste, and / or lingering sweetness. In the particular case of Reb A, this takes the form of a combination of an undesirable lingering sweetness and a liquorice-like after-taste. This after-taste detracts from the desired sugar-like sweetness, and thus effectively masking undesirable tastes or off-tastes in edible compositions is key to consumer acceptance of many edible compositions. Additionally, flavor solutions for sugar reduction are typically limited to stevia derived solutions that may be restricted by regulations, are too expensive, and lack sugar-like mouthfeel. Accordingly, there remains a need to provide flavor compositions in order to improve the the sweetness intensity and sweet quality of sweet-tasting substances. SUMMARY In one illustrative embodiment, a flavor composition comprises advantame; and at least one taste modifier selected from the group consisting of i) a sweetness modifier comprising a dihydrochalcone, ii) a positive allosteric modulator of the human sweet taste receptor, and iii) combinations thereof. In yet another illustrative embodiment, a consumable comprises at least one sweetener; and a flavor composition including advantame; and at least one taste modifier selected from the group consisting of i) a sweetness modifier comprising a dihydrochalcone, ii) a positive allosteric modulator of the human sweet taste receptor, and iii) combinations thereof. The at least one sweetener is present in a sweetening amount. In yet another illustrative embodiment, a method is disclosed for imparting a more sugar- like temporal profile, flavor profile and / or taste profile to a consumable by adding the flavor compositions disclosed herein to the consumable, thereby providing a consumable having a more sugar-like temporal profile, flavor profile and / or taste profile. In another embodiment, the more sugar-like temporal profile is a reduced sweetness linger, as compared to a consumable to which the flavor composition disclosed herein had not been added. In a further embodiment, the more sugar-like flavor profile is an improved mouthfeel (for example, increased body or fullness), as compared to a consumable to which the flavor composition disclosed herein had not been added. Certain embodiments of any aspect of the present disclosure may provide one or more of the following advantages: - increased sweetness in a composition; - enhanced sweetness in a composition including at least one sweetener; - decrease in the amount of caloric sweetener required to obtain desired sweetness; - improvement of one or more sweetness characteristics to make sweet taste more similar to sugar (sucrose); - weakening of lingering sweetness (e.g., decreasing the length of time the sweet taste remains and / or decreasing the intensity of the sweet taste more rapidly); - weakening of bitter taste and / or liquorice taste and / or metallic taste; - weakening of the sensory perceptions of dryness and / or astringent mouthfeel; - improvement in sweetness impact (e.g., increasing the maximum intensity of the sweet taste and / or decreasing the length of time for the sweet taste to be detected) (e.g., decreasing the lingering sweetness). These and other features, aspects and advantages of specific embodiments will become evident to those skilled in the art from a reading of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following text sets forth a broad description of numerous different embodiments of the present disclosure. The description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. It will be understood that any feature, characteristic, component, composition, ingredient, product, step or methodology described herein can be deleted, combined with or substituted for, in whole or part, any other feature, characteristic, component, composition, ingredient, product, step or methodology described herein. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. All publications and patents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure relates to the surprising finding that flavor compositions including advantame, in combination with various taste modifiers, improves the sweetness intensity and sweet quality of sweet-tasting substances. The taste modifiers may be selected from sweetness modifiers and / or positive allosteric modulators to improve the sweetness intensity and sweet quality of sweet-tasting substances. Interestingly, the applicant has observed a synergistic effect of advantame with sweetness modifiers and / or positive allosteric modulators, but not with stevia derived sweet compounds, for example rebaudioside A. Advantame (N—[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-propyl]-α-aspartyl]-L- phenylalanine-1-methyl ester) has the chemical formula C24H30N2O7. The chemical structure of advantame is given below.

[0002] Advantame is a non-caloric sweetener developed by Ajinomoto Co. (Tokyo, Japan). It is a derivative of aspartame and by mass, it is about 20,000 times sweeter than sucrose and about 110 times sweeter than aspartame. According to certain illustrative embodiments, a flavor composition may comprise advantame in combination with various taste modifiers, such as sweetness modifiers and / or positive allosteric modulators. According to certain embodiments, the amount of advantame present in the flavor composition may be in a concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 100,000 ppm, in another embodiment from about 50 ppm to about 20,000 ppm. In another embodiment, the amount of advantame present in the flavor composition may be in a concentration of from about 100 ppm to about 5,000 ppm. The sweetness modifiers may comprise one or more of a wide variety of compounds. According to certain illustrative embodiments, the sweetness modifiers are selected from dihydrochalcones. The term “sweetness modifier”, as used herein, refers to a compound that modifies, enhances, amplifies or potentiates the perception of sweetness of a consumable when the compound is present in the consumable in a concentration at or below the compound’s sweetness recognition threshold, i.e., a concentration at which the compound does not contribute any noticeable sweet taste in the absence of additional sweetener(s). This means that the sweetness modifiers are not present in a sweetening amount. The particular concentration of the sweetness modifier will vary based on the identity of the particular modifier and the type of matrix or consumable. According to certain embodiments, the amount of sweetness modifiers present in the flavor composition may be in a concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 100,000 ppm, in another embodiment from about 20 ppm to about 20,000 ppm, and in another embodiment from about 50 ppm to about 10,000 ppm. The term “sweetness recognition threshold concentration,” as used herein, is the lowest known concentration of a compound that is perceivable by the human sense of taste as sweet. In one embodiment, the sweetness modifier may be one or more dihydrochalcones. Examples of dihydrochalcones include, for example, trilobatin (1-[4-(beta-D- glucopyranosyloxy)-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanone; Phloretin; HDG or hesperetin dihydrochalcone 4’’-beta-D-glucoside is also known as 1-[4-( -D- glucopyranosyloxy)-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]-3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-1-propanone); naringin dihydrochalcone (NarDHC, is also known as 1-[4-[[2-O-(6-Deoxy-alpha-L- mannopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]oxy]-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1- propanone); neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC, E959); HDC or hesperetin dihydrochalcone 3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-1-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)propan-1-one.. Trilobatin is a natural dihydrochalcone type sweetener that occurs in the Chinese sweet tea plant Lithocarpus polystachyus, the leaves of which have been consumed as sweet tea in the south of China for centuries. The synthesis of HDG may be performed by reduction of hesperidin in dilute alkali which yields hesperidin dihydrochalcone, followed by partial hydrolysis, either by acid or by a dissolved or immobilized enzyme, to form HDG, for example as described in US 3,429,873. In another embodiment, dihydrochlacones include a range of compounds of the formula: or a salt thereof, wherein R1 comprises H, OH, O(CH)2)2OH, OCH2OCH3 or wherein R2 comprises a pyridines, thiazoles, piperidines, pyrrolidines, furans and pyrans; and wherein R3comprises H or OH. According to another embodiment, the dihydrochalcone is 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3- (pyridine-4-yl)propan-1-one. Further dihydrochalcones are described in US 8,715,761, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. According to certain illustrative embodiments, a composition may comprise advantame in combination with a positive allosteric modulator. Positive allosteric modulators (also known in the art as “PAMs”) of the human sweet taste receptor are compounds that enhance the sweet receptor activity and sweetness taste perception, and have been used for reduced sugar / reduced calorie consumable applications. As used herein, the term "T1R2 / T1R3 receptor positive allosteric modulator" refers to any compound or agent that directly or indirectly enhances the activity of the T1R2 / T1R3 receptor in a mammal, for example a human. There are clear disadvantages to the use of PAMs in reduced sugar consumables, namely, PAMs have a different temporal quality as compared to sugar and they lack a desired sugar-like mouthfeel. Without limitation, and only by way of illustration, the positive allosteric modulator component of the flavor composition may be selected from any one or more compounds disclosed in WO 2008 / 154,221, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S.2014 / 0235624 A1, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2018 / 0086751 A1, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2017 / 0354175, each of which are incorporated by reference in their respective entireties. According to certain illustrative embodiments, the positive allosteric modulator component of the flavor composition more of the following compounds: 2,4-dihydroxyl Benzoic acid (CAS:89-86-1), 3-[(4-amino-2, 2-dioxido-1H-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazin-5-yl)oxy]-2, 2-dimethyl-N- propylpropanamide (CAS:1093200-92-0), 3-Quinolinecarboxylic acid, 4-amino-5-[2, 2-dimethyl-3-[(1-methylethyl)amino]-3-oxopropoxy]- 2-methyl- (CAS:1359963-68-0), 5 3-Piperidinecarboxamide, 3-[[(4-amino-2, 2-dioxido-1H-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazin-5- yl)oxy]methyl]-N-cyclopentyl-2- 101-Butanone, 1-[(3S)-3-[[(4-amino-2, 2-dioxido-1H-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazin-5-yl)oxy]methyl]-1- piperidinyl]-3-methyl- (CAS:1469426-64-9), 4-Pyridinecarboxamide, N- hiadiazin-5-yl)oxy]-1,1- dimethylethyl]-2,6-dimethy , 3-Pyridinecarboxylic amino]-3-methyl- 1-oxobutyl]amino]- , 3-Pyridinecarboxylic amino]-3-methyl-1- oxobutyl]amino]- (CAS: 2242529-82-2), and combinations thereof. According to certain illustrative embodiments, the positive allosteric modulator component of the flavor According to certain illustrative embodiments, the positive allosteric modulator component of the flavor composition is the following compound: According to certain illustrative embodiments, the positive allosteric modulator component of the flavor composition is the following compound: According to certain embodiments, the positive allosteric modulator may be present in the flavor composition in an amount of about 10 ppm to about 20,000 ppm. According to other embodiments, the positive allosteric modulator may be present in an amount of about 20 ppm to about 18,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 30 ppm to about 16,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 40 ppm to about 14,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 50 ppm to about 12,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 60 ppm to about 10,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 70 ppm to about 8,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 80 ppm to about 6,000 ppm; in another embodiment from about 90 ppm to about 4,000 ppm; and in another embodiment from about 100 ppm to about 2,000 ppm. According to certain illustrative embodiments, a flavor composition may comprise advantame in combination with at least one sweetness modifier and at least one positive allosteric modulator. The flavor composition described herein may modify and / or modulate the taste of at least one sweetener. The at least one sweetener can be any known sweetener, for example, a natural sweetener, a natural high potency sweetener, or a synthetic sweetener. The at least one sweetener is present in a sweetening amount. “Sweetening amount”, as used herein, refers to the amount of compound required to provide detectable sweetness when present in a consumable, e.g., a beverage. As used herein, the phrase “natural high potency sweetener” refers to any sweetener found naturally in nature and characteristically has a sweetness potency greater than sucrose, fructose, or glucose, yet has less calories. The natural high potency sweetener can be provided as a pure compound or, alternatively, as part of an extract. As used herein, the phrase “synthetic sweetener” refers to any composition which is not found naturally in nature and characteristically has a sweetness potency greater than sucrose, fructose, or glucose, yet has less calories. In other embodiments, the at least one sweetener is a carbohydrate sweetener. Suitable carbohydrate sweeteners are selected from, but not limited to, the group consisting of sucrose, glyceraldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, erythrose, threose, erythrulose, arabinose, lyxose, ribose, xylose, ribulose, xylulose, allose, altrose, galactose, glucose, gulose, idose, mannose, talose, fructose, psicose, sorbose, tagatose, mannoheptulose, sedoheltulose, octolose, fucose, rhamnose, turanose, cellobiose, sialose and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the at least one sweetener does not comprise a carbohydrate sweetener. In another embodiment, the additional sweetener is a rare sugar selected from sorbose, lyxose, ribulose, xylose, xylulose, D-allose, L-ribose, D-tagatose, L-glucose, L-fucose, L- arabinose, turanose and combinations thereof. Other sweeteners include Siamenoside I, monatin and its salts (monatin SS, RR, RS, SR), curculin, glycyrrhizic acid and its salts, thaumatin, monellin, mabinlin, tamatin, hemandulcin, phyllodulcin, glycyphyllin, trilobatin, baiyunoside, osladin, polypodoside A, pterocaryoside A, pterocaryoside B, mukurozioside, phlomisoside I, periandrin I, abrusoside A, steviolbioside and cyclocarioside I, sugar alcohols such as erythritol, sucralose, potassium acesulfame, acesulfame acid and salts thereof, aspartame, alitame, saccharin and salts thereof, hesperidin dihydrochalcone glucoside, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, cyclamate, cyclamic acid and salts thereof, neotame, advantame, glucosylated steviol glycosides (GSGs) and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the sweetener is a caloric sweetener or mixture of caloric sweeteners. In another embodiment, the caloric sweetener is selected from sucrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn / starch syrup, a beet sugar, a cane sugar, and combinations thereof. As used in the present specification, "a" or "an" is employed to describe components, elements, features and method / process steps of various illustrative embodiments disclosed herein. The use of “a” or “an” should be interpreted as “one or more than one”. Products According to the present disclosure, advantame may be added to a sweetened consumable (i.e., a consumable having at least one sweetener therein), or may be provided as part of a flavor composition for consumables. When added to a consumable, advantame is included in an amount effective to modify the sweetness or mouthfeel of a sweetener without exhibiting any off- taste. According to certain embodiments, the amount of advantame present in the consumable may be in a concentration of from about 0.005 ppm to about 5 ppm, in another embodiment from 0.005 ppm to about 2.5 ppm, such as, for example, from about 0.05 ppm to about 2 ppm. In another embodiment, flavor compositions may include advantame in combination with sweetness modifiers and / or positive allosteric modulators to improve the sweetness intensity and modulate sweet quality of sweet-tasting substances. According to certain embodiments, the amount of sweetness modifiers present in the consumable may be in a concentration of from about 0.05 ppm to about 100 ppm, in another embodiment from 0.5 ppm to about 10 ppm, and in another embodiment from about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm. According to certain embodiments, the amount of certain positive allosteric modulators present in the consumable may be in a concentration of from about 0.01 ppm to about 20 ppm, in another embodiment from 0.1 ppm to about 10 ppm, and in another embodiment from about 1 ppm to about 5 ppm. In one embodiment, the at least one sweetener described herein is present in the consumable in a concentration from about 10 ppm to about 80,000 ppm, such as, for example, about 20 ppm to about 70,000 ppm, from about 30 ppm to about 60,000 ppm, from about 40 ppm to about 50,000 ppm, from about 50 ppm to about 40,000 ppm, from about 60 ppm to about 30,000 ppm, from about 70 ppm to about 20,000 ppm, or from about 80 ppm to about 10,000 ppm. When expressed as “ppm”, the concentration is parts per million by weight based on the total weight of the consumable. It should be understood that when a range of values is described in the present disclosure, it is intended that any and every value within the range, including the end points, is to be considered as having been disclosed. It is to be understood that the inventors appreciate and understand that any and all values within the range are to be considered to have been specified, and that the inventors have possession of the entire range and all the values within the range. Flavor compositions may also contain one or more food grade excipient(s). Suitable excipients for flavor compositions are well known in the art and include, for example, without limitation, solvents (including water, alcohol, ethanol, oils, fats, vegetable oil, and miglyol), binders, diluents, disintegranting agents, lubricants, flavoring agents, colouring agents, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilisers, flavor-enhancers, sweetening agents, anti- caking agents, and the like. Examples of such carriers or diluents for flavors may be found e.g. in "Perfume and Flavour Materials of Natural Origin", S. Arctander, Ed., Elizabeth, N.J., 1960; in "Perfume and Flavor Chemicals", S. Arctander, Ed., Vol. I & II, Allured Publishing Corporation, Carol Stream, USA, 1994; in "Flavourings", E. Ziegler and H. Ziegler (ed.), Wiley-VCH Weinheim, 1998 , and "CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Handbook", J.M. Nikitakis (ed.), 1st ed., The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, Inc., Washington, 1988. The flavor composition may have any suitable form, for example liquid or solid, wet or dried, or in encapsulated form bound to or coated onto carriers / particles or as a powder. In the present disclosure, the term “about” used in connection with a value is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context. For example, it includes at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of the particular value. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand the term “about” is used herein to mean that an amount of “about” of a recited value produces the desired degree of effectiveness in the compositions and / or methods of the present disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art would further understand that the metes and bounds of “about” with respect to the value of a percentage, amount or quantity of any component in an embodiment can be determined by varying the value, determining the effectiveness of the compositions or methods for each value, and determining the range of values that produce compositions or methods with the desired degree of effectiveness in accordance with the present disclosure. The consumable may include a base. As used herein, the term “base” refers to all the ingredients necessary for the consumable, apart from the flavor composition. These will naturally vary in both nature and proportion, depending on the nature and use of the consumable or additive, but they are all well known to the art and may be used in art-recognized proportions. The formulation of such a base for every conceivable purpose is therefore within the ordinary skill of the art. For example, the base for a beverage according to the present disclosure may include 5% sucrose and 0.05% citric acid in water. Without limitation, and only by way of illustration, suitable bases may include, anti- caking agents, anti-foaming agents, anti-oxidants, binders, colourants, diluents, disintegrants, emulsifiers, encapsulating agents or formulations, enzymes, fats, flavor-enhancers, flavoring agents, gums, polysaccharides, preservatives, proteins, solubilisers, solvents, stabilisers, sugar- derivatives, surfactants, sweetening agents, vitamins, waxes, and the like. Solvents which may be used are known to those skilled in the art and include e.g., water, ethanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerine and triacetin. Encapsulants and gums include maltodextrin, gum arabic, alginates, gelatine, modified starch, other polysaccharides, and proteins. Examples of excipients, carriers, diluents or solvents for flavor compounds may be found e.g. in “Perfume and Flavour Materials of Natural Origin”, S. Arctander, Ed., Elizabeth, N.J., 1960; in “Perfume and Flavour Chemicals”, S. Arctander, Ed., Vol. I & II, Allured Publishing Corporation, Carol Stream, USA, 1994; in “Flavourings”, E. Ziegler and H. Ziegler (ed.), Wiley- VCH Weinheim, 1998, and “CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Handbook”, J. M. Nikitakis (ed.), 1st ed., The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, Inc., Washington, 1988. Non-limiting examples of suitable flavor-providing ingredients include natural flavors, artificial flavors, spices, seasonings, and the like. These include synthetic flavor oils and flavoring aromatics and / or oils, oleoresins, essences, and distillates, and combinations thereof. Ancillary ingredients may be present to provide other benefits such as enhanced stability, ease of incorporation into a consumable or additive and enhanced nutritional value. Non-limiting typical examples of such ancillary ingredients include stabilizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, gums, starches, dextrins, vitamins and minerals, functional ingredients, salts, antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Particular examples are emulsifiers and carriers, useful in spray drying processes. Non-limiting examples of these are modified starches, such as CAPSULTM, and maltodextrin. The additive may be a single ingredient or a blend of ingredients, or it may be encapsulated in any suitable encapsulant. The additive may be prepared by any suitable method, such as spray drying, extrusion and fluidized bed drying. According to the present disclosure, the term “consumable” refers to products for consumption by a subject, typically via the oral cavity (although consumption may occur via non-oral means such as inhalation), for at least one of the purposes of enjoyment, nourishment, or health and wellness benefits. Consumables may be present in any form including, but not limited to, liquids, solids, semi-solids, tablets, capsules, lozenges, strips, powders, gels, gums, pastes, slurries, solutions, suspensions, syrups, aerosols and sprays. The term also refers to, for example, dietary and nutritional, and health and wellness supplements. Consumables include compositions that are placed within the oral cavity for a period of time before being discarded but not swallowed. It may be placed in the mouth before being consumed, or it may be held in the mouth for a period of time before being discarded. Broadly, consumables include, but are not limited to, comestibles of all kinds, confectionery products, baked products, sweet products, savoury products, fermented products, dairy products, non-dairy products, beverages, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Non-limiting examples of consumables include: wet / liquid soups regardless of concentration or container, including frozen soups. For the purpose of this definition soup(s) means a food prepared from meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, grains, fruit and other ingredients, cooked in a liquid which may include visible pieces of some or all of these ingredients. It may be clear (as a broth) or thick (as a chowder), smooth, pureed or chunky, ready-to-serve, semi- condensed or condensed and may be served hot or cold, as a first course or as the main course of a meal or as a between meal snack (sipped like a beverage), soup may be used as an ingredient for preparing other meal components and may range from broths (consomme) to sauces (cream or cheese-based soups); dehydrated and culinary foods, including cooking aid products such as: powders, granules, pastes, concentrated liquid products, including concentrated bouillon, bouillon and bouillon like products in pressed cubes, tablets or powder or granulated form, which are sold separately as a finished product or as an ingredient within a product, sauces and recipe mixes (regardless of technology); meal solutions products such as: dehydrated and freeze dried soups, including dehydrated soup mixes, dehydrated instant soups, dehydrated ready-to-cook soups, dehydrated or ambient preparations of ready-made dishes, meals and single serve entrees including pasta, potato and rice dishes; meal embellishment products such as: condiments, marinades, salad dressings, salad toppings, dips, breading, batter mixes, shelf stable spreads, barbecue sauces, liquid recipe mixes, concentrates, sauces or sauce mixes, including recipe mixes for salad, sold as a finished product or as an ingredient within a product, whether dehydrated, liquid or frozen; beverages, including beverage mixes and concentrates, including but not limited to, alcoholic and non-alcoholic ready to drink and dry powdered beverages, carbonated and non- carbonated beverages, e.g., sodas, fruit or vegetable juices, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, teas such as green tea and black tea, wine such as red wine; confectionery products, e.g., cakes, cookies, pies, candies, chewing gums, gelatins, ice creams, sorbets, puddings, jams, jellies, salad dressings, and other condiments, cereal, and other breakfast foods, canned fruits and fruit sauces and the like. Methods of enhancing the sweetness of a consumable and / or modulating one or more taste attributes of the sweetener to make the consumable taste more like a sucrose-sweetened consumable are provided. The disclosure is further described with reference to the following non-limiting examples. EXAMPLES The following examples are given solely for the purpose of illustration and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention, as many variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention. A Base (5% sucrose and 0.05% citric acid in water) for use in beverages was prepared. The Base did not include advantame. Control “A” was prepared by combining the Base with advantame. Control “B” was prepared by combining the Base with advantame and Reb A. Different combinations of the Base with advantame, sweetness modifiers and / or positive allosteric modulators were prepared in accordance with the Examples below and were evaluated by experienced flavorists for sweetness characteristics and sensory perceptions of mouthfeel. Example 1 -- Control “A” (Advantame) 5 Advantame Comments (ppm) A0Sweet, acidic, slightly astringent B0.5Slightly sweeter than base, delayed sweet, medicinal licorice, lingering sweet, slightly bitter C1.5Sweeter than base, delayed sweet, medicinal licorice, lingering sweet, strong bitter, slightly burning Example 2 – Control “B” (Advantame + Reb A) Advantame Reb A Comments (ppm) (ppm) D 30 Sweeter than base, medicinal licorice, slightly astringent E0.530 Sweeter than base, bitter, very astringent10Example 3 (Advantame + PAM) Advantame PAM* Comments (ppm) (ppm) F 1.5 Sweeter than base, licorice-like sweet, slightly lingering sweet G0.5 1.5Mmouucthhfseweeleter than base, slightly-delayed sweet, middle sugary*3-[(4-amino-2, 2-dioxido-1H-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazin-5-yl)oxy]-2, 2-dimethyl-N-propylpropanamide 15 Example 4 (Advantame + Phloretin) Advantame Phloretin Comments (ppm) (ppm) H 5 Slightly sweeter than base, mouthcoating, slightly bitter I0.55 Sweeter than base, middle sugary mouthfeel, less bitter than sample H Example 5 (Advantame + NHDC) Advantame NHDC Comments (ppm) (ppm) J 2 Slightly sweeter than base, astringent K0.5 2Sweeter than base, middle sugary mouthfeel, less astringent than sample J 5 Example 6 (Advantame + NarDHC ) Advantame NarDHC Comments (ppm) (ppm) L 5 Slightly sweeter and more acidic than base M0.55 Sweeter than base, middle sugary mouthfeel, less acidic than sample L Example 7 (Advantame + HDG ) 10 Advantame HDG Comments (ppm) (ppm) N 5 Slightly sweeter than base, acidic, astringent O0.5 5Sweeter than base, middle sugary mouthfeel, less acidic and less astringent than sample N Example 8 (Advantame + HDC ) Advantame HDC Comments (ppm) (ppm) P 5 Slightly sweeter than base, bitter, slightly astringent Q0.5 5Manudclhessswaesetrteinrgthenant tbhaasnes,ammidpdlelePsugary mouthfeel, much less bitter15 Example 9 (Advantame + dihydrochalcone ) Advantame Dihydrochalcone* Comments (ppm) (ppm) R 5 Slightly sweeter than base, slightly bitter S0.5 5Sweeter than base, middle sugary mouthfeel, less bitter than sample R *1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(pyridine-4-yl)propan-1-one The compositions of the above Examples were taste tested by experienced flavorists and the combinations were compared to the Base. As evident by the above results, the combinations of advantame with certain taste modifier(s) were found to have a sweeter and / or more sugar-like mouthfeel and / or less lingering sweetness and / or less licorice-like taste and / or less astringent. The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a concentration disclosed as “10 ppm” is intended to mean “about 10 ppm”. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A flavor composition comprising: a. advantame; and b. at least one taste modifier selected from the group consisting of i) a sweetness modifier comprising a dihydrochalcone, ii) a positive allosteric modulator of the human sweet taste receptor, and iii) combinations thereof.

2. The flavor composition of claim 1, wherein advantame is present in a concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 100,000 ppm in the flavor composition.

3. The flavor composition of claim 1, wherein the dihydrochalcone is selected from the group consisting of hesperetin, trilobatin, phloretin, naringin dihydrochalcone, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, hesperetin dihydrochalcone, hesperetin dihydrochalcone 4’’–beta-D-glucoside, and combinations thereof.

4. The flavor composition of claim 1, wherein the dihydrochalcone comprises 1-(2- hydroxyphenyl)-3-(pyridine-4-yl)propan-1-one.

5. The flavor composition of claim 1, wherein the dihydrochalcone is present in a concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 100,000 ppm in the flavor composition.

6. The flavor composition of claim 1, wherein the positive allosteric modulator comprises 3- [(4-amino-2, 2-dioxido-1H-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazin-5-yl)oxy]-2, 2-dimethyl-N- propylpropanamide.

7. The flavor composition of claim 1, wherein the positive allosteric modulator is present in a concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 20,000 ppm in the flavor composition.

8. A consumable, including the flavor composition of claim 1.

9. A consumable comprising: a. at least one sweetener; and b. a flavor composition including advantame; and at least one taste modifier selected from the group consisting of i) a sweetness modifier comprising a dihydrochalcone, ii) a positive allosteric modulator of the human sweet taste receptor, and iii) combinations thereof, wherein the at least one sweetener is present in a sweetening amount.

10. The consumable of claim 9, wherein the at least one sweetener is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, glucose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, tagatose, allulose, trehalose, isomaltulose, steviol glycosides, mogrosides, stevia, trilobatin, rubusoside, aspartame, advantame, agave syrup, acesulfame potassium (AceK), high fructose corn syrup, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, high fructose corn syrup, starch syrup, Luo Han Guo extract, neohespiridin dihydrochalcone, naringin dihydrochalcone, sugar alcohols cellobiose, psicose, cyclamate, tamatin, molasses, rice syrup, and combinations thereof.

11. The consumable of claim 9, wherein the advantame is present in a concentration of from about 0.005 ppm to about 5 ppm in the consumable.

12. The consumable of claim 9, wherein the dihdryochalcone is present in a concentration of from about 0.05 ppm to about 100 ppm in the consumable.

13. The consumable of claim 9, wherein the positive allosteric modulator is present in a concentration of from about 0.01 ppm to about 20 ppm in the consumable.

14. The consumable of claim 9, wherein the consumable is a beverage.

15. The consumable of claim 9, wherein the consumable is yogurt.

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