Low-Water-Activity Cannabinoid Food Compositions for Palatable High Doses
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cannabinoid-containing food products face challenges in providing a high dosage without undesirable flavor, particularly for children or non-compliant subjects, due to high cannabinoid concentrations leading to unpalatable taste.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising at least 50% carbohydrate, low water activity (0.65-0.9), less than 2% fat, and a thickener, which allows for high cannabinoid concentrations up to 3% without the undesirable flavor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high cannabinoid concentrations are provided in food products to achieve desired therapeutic dosage, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but undesirable flavor is intensified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thickening agent as an intermediary substance that enables high cannabinoid concentrations to be carried without intensifying the undesirable flavor. The thickening agent acts as a carrier medium that allows the cannabinoid to be delivered at therapeutic doses while the flavor profile is dominated by the food product itself rather than the cannabinoid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the food product by adjusting water activity (aw) to specific ranges (0.65-0.9) and controlling fat content (less than 2% wt). These parameter changes create a matrix that can accommodate high cannabinoid concentrations while maintaining palatability, as the low water activity and controlled fat content prevent the cannabinoid from expressing its characteristic flavor.
2Quantity of substance
If large amounts of food product are consumed to provide sufficient cannabinoid dosage, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but consumer compliance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of the cannabinoid in the food product to achieve high therapeutic dosages within reasonable serving sizes. By formulating the product with optimized water activity (0.65-0.9) and low fat content (less than 2% wt), the cannabinoid is delivered at high concentrations that provide effective therapeutic doses without requiring consumers to eat excessive amounts of the product.
3Productivity
If high cannabinoid concentrations are used to reduce serving size, then dosage efficiency is improved, but flavor palatability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The thickening agent serves as a mediator that decouples the relationship between cannabinoid concentration and flavor intensity. It allows the cannabinoid to be present at high concentrations for dosage efficiency while the thickening agent and food matrix work together to mask or dilute the undesirable flavor, maintaining palatability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite food product system combining the food matrix, thickening agent, and cannabinoid in specific proportions. The composite structure, with controlled water activity (0.65-0.9) and low fat content (less than 2% wt), enables high cannabinoid loading while the composite nature of the material system maintains acceptable flavor through the dominance of the food product's inherent characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a composition comprising (a) at least 50% wt carbohydrate, (b) less than 35% wt water (c) water activity in the range between 0.65 and 0.9, (d) at least one cannabinoid at a concentration of at least 0.1% wt of said composition; (e) a thickener, wherein the composition comprises less than 2% wt fat. Further provided are food products comprising the composition.