Reb B Sweetener Blends Masking Bitterness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Highly purified steviol glycosides from the Stevia Rebaudiana plant exhibit non-sweet taste attributes like bitterness and low water solubility, which hinder their commercialization and application in food and beverage products, with Rebaudioside B (Reb B) being underutilized and viewed as an impurity rather than a potential sweetener.
Innovation Solution
A process is developed to create blends of Reb B with other steviol glycosides and sweeteners from various groups, including natural and synthetic sources, to enhance solubility and impact the taste profile, resulting in a more soluble and effective sweetener composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If highly purified steviol glycosides are used, then sweetness intensity is improved, but non-sweet taste attributes (bitterness, astringency) increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple steviol glycosides (stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside C, and rebaudioside B) in specific proportions to create a blended composition. This merging of different glycoside types produces synergistic effects that enhance overall sweetness while the presence of rebaudioside B specifically helps mask bitterness and astringency, resolving the contradiction between high sweetness intensity and unpleasant taste attributes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite sweetener material consisting of a multi-component steviol glycoside mixture rather than using a single purified glycoside. This composite approach allows the different glycosides to work together, where rebaudioside B acts as a flavor modifier that suppresses the harmful bitter and astringent notes while maintaining high sweetness, thus resolving the taste quality contradiction
2Quantity of substance
If highly purified steviol glycosides are used, then sweetness potency is improved, but water solubility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges steviol glycosides with different solubility characteristics into a single composition. By combining highly potent but less soluble glycosides with other components, the overall mixture achieves improved water solubility while maintaining high sweetness potency, as the different components interact to enhance dissolution properties
3Manufacturing precision
If rebaudioside B is considered an impurity and removed, then purification level is improved, but sweetness profile and solubility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts rebaudioside B from being viewed as a harmful impurity to being utilized as a beneficial component. By intentionally including rebaudioside B in the composition, the invention transforms what was previously considered a defect into an asset that improves sweetness profile, masks bitterness, and enhances water solubility, thereby resolving the contradiction between purification and functional performance
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a sweet ingestible product comprising Reb B and at least one different sweetener, selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides and stevia extracts, natural sweeteners, glycosylated terpenoid sweeteners, synthetic high intensity sweeteners, sugar alcohols, oligosaccharides, caloric sweeteners and combinations thereof; wherein said at least one sweetener is present in the product at a concentration above 2% sucrose equivalent sweetness, and Reb B is present at a concentration from 10 to 300 ppm.