Caffeinated Carbonated Drink Bitterness Suppression Ginger Extract
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Solution Overview
Problem
Caffeine-loaded carbonated drinks often exhibit excessive bitterness, which combines with carbonic acid to create an unpalatable experience, especially in low-calorie versions that lack richness and robustness.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating specific amounts of caffeine and ginger extract, with gingerol content ranging from 0.00001 to 0.002 wt%, to suppress bitterness while maintaining the dry feel, resulting in a carbonated drink with improved palatability and refreshing quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If caffeine is added to carbonated drinks to provide dry feel and stimulation, then the dry feel is improved, but bitterness becomes excessively strong
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces ginger extract as an intermediary substance that mediates between caffeine and the consumer's perception. The ginger extract specifically targets and suppresses the bitter taste of caffeine through taste interaction, while allowing the stimulating and drying effects of caffeine to remain. This resolves the contradiction by adding a third component that selectively counteracts the harmful bitter quality without affecting the desirable dry feel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of both caffeine (0.003-0.03 wt%) and ginger extract (0.0003-0.03 wt%) to achieve the desired balance. By carefully controlling these parameters, the formulation maintains sufficient caffeine content for dry feel and stimulation while limiting the bitterness through optimized ginger extract concentration. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by finding the precise concentration range where both effects coexist.
2Quantity of substance
If high-intensity sweeteners are used to reduce calorie content, then calorie content is reduced, but aftertaste quality deteriorates and carbon dioxide retention is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The ginger extract serves as an intermediary that improves the overall taste profile of the low-calorie drink. It specifically addresses the poor aftertaste associated with high-intensity sweeteners by providing a refreshing pungent note that masks or balances the unwanted sweetness persistence. Additionally, the ginger extract interacts with carbon dioxide to enhance carbonic acid feel, thereby improving carbon dioxide retention perception despite the use of high-intensity sweeteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite flavor system combining high-intensity sweeteners, caffeine, and ginger extract. This composite formulation works synergistically where the ginger extract compensates for the deficiencies of high-intensity sweeteners. The combination produces a balanced taste profile with acceptable aftertaste and improved carbon dioxide retention, resolving the contradiction between low calorie content and taste quality.
3Power
If caffeine concentration is increased to enhance stimulation, then stimulating effect is improved, but bitterness becomes more noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The ginger extract acts as a protective intermediary that allows higher caffeine concentrations to be used without proportionally increasing bitterness. It specifically binds to or masks the bitter compounds in caffeine, enabling the formulation to achieve desired stimulating effects at higher caffeine levels while the ginger extract neutralizes the accompanying bitterness through taste interaction.
Data Source
AI summary
Carbonated drinks using caffeine that have an appropriate dry feel while maintaining the characteristics of low-calorie drinks and which are suppressed in the bitterness of caffeine. These carbonated drinks contain (A) caffeine and (B) ginger extract in specified amounts.