Packaged GABA Acidic Beverage Formulation for Sour Taste Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

GABA-containing acidic beverages exhibit a specific sour taste that is not addressed by existing technologies.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating 500 million cells/L or more of dead bacterial cells of lactic acid bacteria or bacteria capable of activating plasmacytoid dendritic cells into the beverage, along with a pH of 4.6 or less, to suppress the sour taste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If GABA is included in acidic beverages at 100 mg/L or more, then health benefits such as blood pressure-lowering and mental stability effects are achieved, but a specific sour taste occurs that reduces consumer acceptability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehealth benefitsVSAvoidspecific sour taste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses dead bacterial cells of lactic acid bacteria as an intermediary substance to mask the specific sour taste of GABA. The bacterial cells interact with the taste receptors or the GABA molecules themselves, preventing the direct perception of the unwanted sour taste while allowing the health benefits of GABA to remain intact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the beverage by adjusting the concentration of dead bacterial cells to 500 million cells/L or more. This parameter change transforms the taste profile of the beverage, suppressing the specific sour taste of GABA while maintaining its functional benefits. The pH is also controlled at 4.6 or less to optimize the overall taste balance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If dead bacterial cells of lactic acid bacteria are included at 500 million cells/L or more, then the specific sour taste of GABA is suppressed, but the beverage formulation becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespecific sour tasteVSAvoidbeverage formulation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dead bacterial cells, which are inexpensive and can be produced in large quantities through fermentation. These dead cells serve as a cost-effective taste modifier that can be easily incorporated into the beverage formulation without requiring complex processing or expensive ingredients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite beverage system that combines GABA, dead bacterial cells of lactic acid bacteria, and acidic components. This composite formulation leverages the functional properties of each component: GABA for health benefits, dead bacterial cells for taste modification, and acids for pH control and flavor enhancement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP4627934A1Packaged acidic beverage

Publication Date: 2025.10.08 KIRIN HOLDINGS KK

Figure 1

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a packaged acidic beverage according to the present invention such that a "sour taste" specific to an acidic beverage containing GABA in a prescribed concentration is suppressed, a production method therefor, and others. Provided is a packaged acidic beverage comprising γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at 100 mg/L or more and 500 million cells/L or more (e.g., 20 billion cells/L or more) of dead bacterial cells of one or more types of lactic acid bacteria and/or bacteria in the present invention 1 and having a pH of 4.6 or less.