Stevioside-Rebaudioside A Mixture for Sweetness Enhancement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rebaudioside A, a potent sweetener from the stevia plant, is hindered by an unpleasant lingering bitterness and lack of upfront sweetness, making it costly and time-consuming to isolate in pure form, while existing solutions fail to provide effective sweetness enhancement without these drawbacks.

Innovation Solution

A composition comprising a mixture of stevioside and rebaudioside A in a ratio of 1:1 to 4:1, which enhances sweetness similarly to or better than pure rebaudioside A, with a more sugar-like flavor profile and reduced bitterness, achieved through fractionation of commercial stevia extracts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If rebaudioside A is isolated in highly pure form, then sweetness enhancement and taste profile are improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of rebaudioside AVSAvoidcomplexity of isolation process
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and isolates rebaudioside A from commercial stevia extracts using fractionation techniques, specifically removing it from the complex mixture of steviol glycosides. This allows obtaining pure rebaudioside A without requiring complete isolation of all other components, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining high purity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention segments the complex stevia extract into different fractions based on the polarity and chemical properties of individual steviol glycosides. By separating rebaudioside A into its own fraction, the process achieves high purity without requiring multiple sequential isolation steps, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If rebaudioside A is used to enhance sweetness, then sweetness potency is improved, but lingering bitterness and unwanted after taste increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweetness potencyVSAvoidlingering bitterness and after taste
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the harmful lingering bitterness of pure rebaudioside A into a beneficial effect by combining it with other steviol glycosides in specific ratios. The mixture maintains the high sweetness potency of rebaudioside A while the other components mask or counteract the unwanted aftertaste, transforming a defect into an advantage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite sweetness enhancer mixture containing rebaudioside A combined with other steviol glycosides in optimized ratios. This composite material leverages the high potency of rebaudioside A while incorporating other components that improve the overall flavor profile, eliminating the lingering bitterness through synergistic interactions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If stevioside is used instead of rebaudioside A, then manufacturing cost and simplicity are improved, but sweetness potency and taste quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicity and costVSAvoidsweetness potency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges stevioside with rebaudioside A in optimized ratios to create a composite mixture that combines the manufacturing advantages of stevioside with the superior sweetness potency and taste profile of rebaudioside A. This merging allows achieving high sweetness enhancement without requiring complete isolation of rebaudioside A, maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the compositional parameters of the sweetness enhancer by using a mixture rather than a single compound. By optimizing the ratio of stevioside to rebaudioside A, the invention achieves a balance between manufacturing simplicity and sweetness potency, effectively adjusting the parameters to resolve the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If commercial stevia extract is used directly, then cost and availability are improved, but sweetness enhancement effectiveness deteriorates due to complex composition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost and availabilityVSAvoidsweetness enhancement effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the active sweetness-enhancing components from commercial stevia extracts, specifically isolating rebaudioside A and other steviol glycosides in optimized ratios. This extraction process removes inactive or potentially harmful components while concentrating the sweetness-enhancing agents, maintaining cost-effectiveness by using commercial extracts as starting material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies partial fractionation to commercial stevia extracts, focusing on separating and concentrating the key sweetness-enhancing steviol glycosides rather than achieving complete purification of all components. This partial action is sufficient to achieve the desired sweetness enhancement effectiveness while maintaining cost efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2770843B1Sweetness enhancing composition comprising stevioside and rebaudioside a
Publication Date: 2017.08.09 GIVAUDAN SA

AI summary

A mixture consisting essentially of a mixture of the individual ingredients stevioside and rebaudioside A proided in a ratio stevioside to rebaudioside A of about 1:1 to about 4:1.