Sweetener Composition Enhancing Sugar-Like Taste Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural caloric sweeteners like sucrose and synthetic high-potency sweeteners often have different temporal and flavor profiles compared to sugar, leading to unbalanced taste in food and beverages, and may exhibit off-tastes such as bitterness or astringency, limiting their use in sugar replacement.
Innovation Solution
A sweetener composition combining sweetness enhancers like 2-hydroxy-3-methylbenzoic acid with sweeteners like sucrose and fructose, along with optional sweet taste improving compositions, to enhance sweetness perception and modify the temporal and flavor profiles to be more sugar-like.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high-potency sweeteners are used to replace sugar, then sweetness intensity is improved, but temporal profile and flavor balance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sweetening agents (sugar, high-potency sweeteners, and sweetness enhancers) to create a composite sweetener composition. This composite approach allows the mixture to achieve high sweetness intensity while maintaining a temporal profile similar to sugar, as the different components complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the composition parameters by incorporating specific sweetness enhancers (such as monel, brazzein, or other glycoproteins) at controlled concentrations (0.01-10% by weight). This parameter adjustment allows the composition to achieve desired sweetness intensity while improving temporal profile characteristics.
2Quantity of substance
If high-potency sweeteners are used to replace sugar, then sweetness intensity is improved, but flavor profile and mouthfeel deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite sweetener system that includes sugar, high-potency sweeteners, and sweetness enhancers. This composite structure preserves the natural flavor profile and mouthfeel characteristics of sugar while achieving enhanced sweetness intensity, as the multiple components work synergistically to maintain overall flavor quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies sweetness enhancers at specific local concentrations within the composition (0.01-10% by weight) to target and improve specific flavor characteristics without affecting the overall flavor profile. This localized enhancement allows selective improvement of sweetness intensity while preserving natural flavor qualities.
3Quantity of substance
If sweetness enhancers are added to high-potency sweeteners, then sweetness perception is improved, but off-tastes and undesirable flavors are eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses sweetness enhancers (such as monel, brazzein, or other glycoproteins) to convert the harmful off-tastes and undesirable flavors generated by high-potency sweeteners into beneficial effects. These enhancers mask or counteract bitter, metallic, or astringent notes while amplifying the desired sweetness perception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sweetness enhancers as intermediary substances that mediate between the high-potency sweeteners and the consumer's taste receptors. These intermediaries modify the interaction by reducing negative taste perceptions (bitterness, metallic notes) while enhancing positive sweetness perception.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates generally to improving the taste of sweetener compositions having enhanced sweetness. In particular, the present invention relates to compositions that can improve the tastes of sweetness enhanced sweetener compositions including at least one sweetness enhancer and at least one sweetener by imparting a more sugar-like taste or characteristic. In particular, the compositions and methods provide at least one sweetness enhancer, at least one sweetener comprising a carbohydrate sweetener, a natural-high-potency sweetener, a synthetic high-potency sweetener, or a combination thereof, and at least one sweet taste improving composition.