Cereal Compositions with High-Potency Sweeteners and Taste Modifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural and synthetic high-potency sweeteners often have undesirable taste profiles, such as delayed sweetness onset, lingering aftertaste, and off-tastes like bitterness or metallic flavors, which disrupt the temporal and flavor profiles of food and beverage compositions, making them unsuitable for direct substitution of caloric sugars.
Innovation Solution
Cereal compositions incorporating natural and synthetic high-potency sweeteners in combination with sweet taste improving compositions, such as carbohydrates, polyols, and amino acids, to enhance the temporal and flavor profiles, mimicking the taste characteristics of sugar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If natural or synthetic high-potency sweeteners are used to replace caloric sugars, then calorie content is reduced, but temporal profile and flavor profile deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines high-potency sweeteners with bulking agents (carbohydrates, polyols, proteins, or fats) to create a composite sweetener composition. This composite approach allows the high-potency sweetener to provide intense sweetness while the bulking agent contributes bulk, texture, and improved temporal release characteristics, thereby resolving the contradiction between calorie reduction and maintaining reliable temporal/flavor profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the sweetener system into distinct functional components: a high-potency sweetener component (for intense sweetness with minimal calories) and a bulking agent component (for texture, bulk, and temporal release). This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together to achieve both calorie reduction and improved temporal profile.
2Quantity of substance
If high-potency sweeteners are used, then sweetness intensity is improved, but temporal profile becomes unbalanced with delayed onset and lingering aftertaste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic release mechanisms where the bulking agent matrix gradually releases the high-potency sweetener over time. This creates a dynamic temporal profile with faster initial onset (as some sweetener is immediately available) and reduced lingering aftertaste (as the matrix controls the release rate), thereby balancing the temporal characteristics while maintaining high sweetness intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulking agent acts as an intermediary matrix that mediates the release of the high-potency sweetener. This intermediary structure controls the temporal release pattern, preventing the immediate sharp onset and prolonged aftertaste characteristic of pure high-potency sweeteners, while still delivering intense sweetness.
3Quantity of substance
If high-potency sweeteners are used, then sweetness potency is improved, but off-tastes such as bitterness, metallic, cooling, or astringent flavors appear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the form of encapsulation or complexation with bulking agents to modify the release characteristics and interaction with taste receptors. By changing the physical state and release parameters of the high-potency sweetener through the bulking agent matrix, the off-tastes are masked or prevented, while the high sweetness potency is preserved.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulking agent serves as an intermediary that interacts with the high-potency sweetener to prevent direct contact with taste receptors that would trigger off-tastes. This intermediary layer allows the sweetener to maintain its high potency while blocking the pathways that lead to bitter, metallic, cooling, or astringent perceptions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to cereal compositions comprising non-caloric or low-caloric high-potency sweeteners and methods for making and using them. In particular, the present invention relates to different cereal compositions comprising at least one non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic high potency sweetener and at least one sweet taste improving composition. The present invention also relates to cereal compositions and methods that can improve the tastes of non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic, high-potency sweeteners by imparting a more sugar-like taste or characteristic. In particular, the cereal compositions and methods provide a more sugar-like temporal profile, including sweetness onset and sweetness linger, and/or a more sugar-like flavor profile.