Sweetness Modifier Composition for Off-Taste Masking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing high-intensity sweeteners exhibit undesirable off-tastes and unbalanced temporal taste profiles, necessitating the need for natural, vegan-friendly ingredients that enhance sweetness and mask off-notes while improving mouthfeel.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating an extract or fraction from Viscum articulatum and flavan or flavanone compounds into consumables to modify sweetness and improve mouthfeel, using extraction methods such as reflux extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and chromatographic separations to isolate flavonoids and flavans.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If high-intensity sweeteners are used to provide sweetness, then sweetness intensity is improved, but off-tastes and unbalanced temporal taste profiles worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesweetness intensityVSAvoidoff-tastes

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces taste modifiers as intermediary substances that interact with high-intensity sweeteners to mitigate their off-tastes. These modifiers act as mediators between the sweetener and the consumer's palate, reducing undesirable after-tastes while preserving the desired sweetness. The modifiers are added in specific amounts (0.01-10% by weight) to optimize the balance between sweetness and off-taste reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs chromatographic separation techniques to isolate and purify specific flavonoid compounds from plant sources, changing the chemical composition parameters of the taste modifier. This involves separating compounds based on their chemical properties to obtain pure flavonoids with specific taste-modulating characteristics, thereby controlling the parameters of the final taste modification effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If high-intensity sweeteners are used to replace sugar, then sugar content is reduced, but temporal taste profile balance worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesugar contentVSAvoidtemporal taste profile

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Taste modifiers serve as intermediary agents that compensate for the temporal taste profile deficiencies of high-intensity sweeteners. These modifiers interact with the sweetener's taste characteristics to create a more balanced temporal profile, mimicking the taste evolution of natural sugar throughout the consumption period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite taste modification systems by combining high-intensity sweeteners with natural flavonoid extracts from multiple plant sources. This composite approach integrates the sweetness of the sweetener with the taste-balancing properties of the flavonoids, achieving a synergistic effect that improves overall taste profile stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Object-generated harmful factors

If natural flavonoid extracts are used to mask off-tastes, then off-taste masking is improved, but extraction process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoff-taste maskingVSAvoidextraction process

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the extraction process into discrete, manageable stages: plant material preparation, solvent extraction, filtration, concentration, and chromatographic separation. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently and facilitates scalability from laboratory to industrial production while maintaining effective off-taste masking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes changes in solvent polarity and flow rates during chromatographic separation to isolate specific flavonoid compounds. By adjusting these parameters, the process efficiently separates desired flavonoids from other plant constituents, achieving effective off-taste masking without requiring overly complex extraction procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The extract or fraction from Viscum articulatum and flavan or flavanone compounds effectively enhance sweetness and mask off-tastes, providing a more balanced temporal taste profile and improved mouthfeel in consumables.

Implementation Method 1

using extraction methods such as reflux extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and chromatographic separations to isolate flavonoids and flavans

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflux extraction:

Implementation Method 2

using extraction methods such as reflux extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and chromatographic separations to isolate flavonoids and flavans

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSupercritical fluid extraction: Supercritical Fluid Extraction

Implementation Method 3

using extraction methods such as reflux extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and chromatographic separations to isolate flavonoids and flavans

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChromatography: Chromatography

Data Source

PatentUS12532902B2Compositions and methods for taste modulation

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 GIVAUDAN SA

AI summary

A consumable is provided. The consumable includes (a) at least one sweetener, and (b) a sweetness modifier comprising an extract or fraction from Viscum articulatum or at least one flavan or flavanone compound. The at least one sweetener is present is a sweetening amount.