Traumatic Acid Sweetness Modulation in Consumables

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current consumables often lack effective methods to enhance sweetness and mouthfeel without increasing the amount of carbohydrate sweeteners or flavorings, which can lead to undesirable taste profiles and sugar content.

Innovation Solution

The use of traumatic acid and/or 3-dodecenedioic acid as additives in amounts effective to enhance sweetness and mouthfeel in consumables, potentially combined with sebacic acid, to intensify the taste and flavor profiles without off-tastes, even at low concentrations such as 0.05 ppm.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the amount of carbohydrate sweeteners or flavorings is increased to enhance sweetness, then the sweetness level is improved, but the sugar content and undesirable taste profiles worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweetness levelVSAvoidundesirable taste profiles and sugar content
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces traumatic acid and 3-dodecenedioic acid as intermediary substances that mediate between the carbohydrate sweeteners and the human taste receptors. These compounds act as flavor modifiers that amplify the sweetness perception without being sugars themselves, thereby enhancing sweetness while avoiding the harmful effects of excessive sugar intake and undesirable taste profiles associated with high carbohydrate sweetener usage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the consumable by incorporating specific compounds (traumatic acid and 3-dodecenedioic acid) at optimized concentrations (0.05-100 ppm). This parameter change allows the system to achieve enhanced sweetness perception through molecular interaction rather than increasing carbohydrate content, thus resolving the contradiction between sweetness enhancement and sugar reduction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If traumatic acid and 3-dodecenedioic acid are added to enhance sweetness, then the sweetness enhancement effect is improved, but the complexity of the composition worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweetness enhancement effectVSAvoidcomposition complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by introducing specific functional compounds (traumatic acid and 3-dodecenedioic acid) at very low concentrations (0.05-100 ppm) into the consumable composition. These compounds perform the localized function of sweetness enhancement without requiring major changes to the overall composition structure, thus improving sweetness enhancement effect while minimizing composition complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite flavor system by combining traumatic acid, 3-dodecenedioic acid, and optionally sebacic acid with the base consumable matrix. This composite approach allows synergistic interaction between components to achieve enhanced sweetness perception while maintaining relatively simple individual component specifications and manageable overall composition complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3890509B1Traumatic acid compositions and methods for taste modulation
Publication Date: 2024.11.27 INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC

AI summary

Traumatic acid and its isomer, 3-dodecenedioic acid, are described for use in compositions and methods for enhancing the sweetness and mouthfeel of a consumable containing a carbohydrate sweetener or flavoring.