Sweetener Composition Reducing Bitterness in Monk Fruit Extract
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current low or non-caloric sweeteners derived from Stevia and monk fruit often exhibit bitter and licorice aftertastes at higher concentrations, making them less desirable as substitutes for natural caloric sweeteners.
Innovation Solution
A sweetener composition combining monk fruit extract with rebaudioside A and rebaudioside B in specific weight ratios, along with mogroside V, to enhance sweetness intensity and reduce bitterness, thereby improving the taste profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If commercial low or non-caloric sweeteners based on Rebaudioside A and other sweet steviol glycosides are used, then non-caloric sweetness is achieved, but bitter and liquorice aftertastes occur especially at concentrations above 300 ppm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sweet steviol glycosides (rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, and stevioside) in specific proportions to create a blended composition. This merging of multiple components with different taste profiles compensates for the bitter and liquorice aftertastes of individual components, particularly enabling use at concentrations above 300 ppm without unacceptable off-tastes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise proportion ranges for each glycoside component (rebaudioside A: 60-80%, rebaudioside B: 5-15%, rebaudioside C: 3-10%, stevioside: 2-5%) to optimize the taste profile. By adjusting these parameters within defined ranges, the composition achieves acceptable taste even at higher concentrations that would otherwise produce bitter aftertastes.
2Quantity of substance
If higher concentrations of sweet steviol glycosides are used to achieve sugar equivalence (8-10% sugar equivalence values), then sweetness intensity is sufficient, but off-tastes become noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges four different steviol glycosides in carefully controlled proportions to achieve synergistic taste effects. The combination allows the composition to deliver sufficient sweetness intensity for sugar equivalence applications while the diverse glycoside profile masks individual off-tastes, maintaining acceptable flavor even at the higher concentrations required for commercial food applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite sweetener material consisting of multiple steviol glycoside components with different taste characteristics. This composite approach allows the final composition to achieve both high sweetness intensity and acceptable taste profile, as the individual components complement each other to reduce overall off-tastes while maintaining potency.
Data Source
AI summary
Sweetener compositions useful as non-caloric replacements for sugars in food and beverages are provided by combinations of monk fruit extract (containing mogroside V) with rebaudioside A and B, which have improved taste profiles as compared to other non- caloric sweeteners.