Liquid Oral Composition Water Activity Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing smokeless tobacco products lack effective formulations that balance flavor, active ingredient delivery, and microbial stability, particularly in liquid forms intended for oral use, which are prone to microbial growth due to high water content.

Innovation Solution

A liquid composition with a water content of 40% or higher, incorporating flavoring agents, active ingredients, and additional components like sweeteners, humectants, and alkali metal salts, which reduce water activity to 0.85 or lower, enhancing microbial stability and storage stability while maintaining a pleasant mouthfeel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If water content is increased to 40% or higher for pleasant mouthfeel and flavor delivery, then sensory quality improves, but microbial stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemouthfeel qualityVSAvoidmicrobial stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling water activity (Aw) to 0.85 or lower through the synergistic combination of humectants and alkali metal salts, while maintaining high water content (40% or higher). This parameter control resolves the contradiction by creating a state where high water content provides pleasant mouthfeel and flavor delivery, while controlled water activity prevents microbial growth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining water (40% or higher), humectants (glycerin, propylene glycol, or sorbitol), and alkali metal salts (sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, or potassium chloride) in specific ratios. This composite formulation achieves both high water content for sensory quality and reduced water activity for microbial stability through the interactive effects of the components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If water activity is reduced to 0.85 or lower for microbial stability, then storage stability improves, but flavor delivery and mouthfeel may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicrobial stabilityVSAvoidflavor delivery

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains water activity at 0.85 or lower while preserving flavor delivery capability through the specific composition of humectants and alkali metal salts. These components reduce water activity to prevent microbial growth while maintaining sufficient free water and appropriate ionic strength to support flavor compound solubility and release during oral use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The composite formulation using water, humectants, and alkali metal salts in balanced ratios achieves the dual function of reducing water activity for microbial stability and maintaining flavor delivery. The humectants provide hygroscopic properties that retain moisture while the alkali metal salts adjust ionic strength, together creating a matrix that preserves both stability and sensory quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of operation

If conventional smokeless tobacco formulations are used with high water content, then flavor and active ingredient delivery improve, but microbial growth risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflavor deliveryVSAvoidmicrobial growth risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the water activity parameter to 0.85 or lower while maintaining high water content (40% or higher), fundamentally altering the microbial growth environment. This parameter change allows the formulation to deliver flavor and active ingredients effectively while creating an osmotically hostile environment for microbial growth, resolving the harmful effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a composite material system consisting of water, humectants (glycerin, propylene glycol, or sorbitol), and alkali metal salts (sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, or potassium chloride) in specific ratios. This composite creates a dual-function matrix that supports flavor and active ingredient delivery while the humectants and salts work synergistically to reduce water activity and prevent microbial growth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition effectively delivers flavors and active ingredients while controlling microbial growth, improving storage stability and user experience through reduced water activity and balanced ingredient ratios.

Implementation Method 1

one or more additional components selected from the group consisting of sweeteners, humectants, and alkali metal salts, wherein the composition has a water activity (Aw) of about 0.85 or lower

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWater activity reduction:

Data Source

PatentUS20220295864A1Liquid oral composition

Publication Date: 2022.09.22 NICOVENTURES TRADING LTD

AI summary

The disclosure provides liquid compositions configured for oral use, the liquid composition comprising water in an amount of about 40% by weight or higher, based on total weight of the composition, a flavoring agent or an active ingredient or both a flavoring agent and an active ingredient, and one or more additional components selected from the group consisting of sweeteners, humectants, and alkali metal salts, wherein the composition has a water activity (Aw) of about 0.85 or lower. The liquid compositions are generally suitable for spraying into the oral cavity.