EDIBLE GEL COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING HIGH-POTENCY SWEETENERS
The present invention relates generally to edible gel compositions comprising non-caloric or low-caloric high-potency sweeteners and methods for making and using them. In particular, the present invention relates to different edible gel compositions comprising at least one non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic high-potency sweetener and at least one sweet taste improving composition. The present invention also relates to edible gel compositions and methods that can improve the tastes of non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic high-potency sweeteners by imparting a more sugar-like taste or characteristic. In particular, the edible gel compositions and methods provide a more sugar-like temporal profile, including sweetness onset and sweetness linger, and/or a more sugar-like flavor profile.
1 . An edible gel mix comprising:
at least one gelling ingredient;
at least one high-potency sweetener; and
at least one sweet taste improving composition.
2 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener comprises a natural high-potency sweetener selected from the group consisting of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside E, dulcoside A, dulcoside B, rubusoside, stevia, stevioside, mogroside IV, mogroside V, Luo Han Guo sweetener, siamenoside, monatin and its salts (monatin SS, RR, RS, SR), curculin, glycyrrhizic acid and its salts, thaumatin, monellin, mabinlin, brazzein, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, glycyphyllin, phloridzin, trilobatin, baiyunoside, osladin, polypodoside A, pterocaryoside A, pterocaryoside B, mukurozioside, phlomisoside I, periandrin I, abrusoside A, cyclocarioside I, and combinations thereof.
3 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener comprises a synthetic high-potency sweetener selected from the group consisting of sucralose, acesulfame potassium and other salts, aspartame, alitame, saccharin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, cyclamate, neotame, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.
4 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises a first sweet taste improving composition selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts, inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavorants, astringent compounds, polymers, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids, alcohols, and combinations thereof.
5 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition imparts a more sugar-like temporal profile to the edible gel mix than the sweetener would have without the at least one sweet taste improving composition
6 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , further comprising at least one second sweet taste improving composition different from the at least one first sweet taste improving composition and selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts, inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavorants, astringent compounds, polymers, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids, alcohols, and combinations thereof.
7 . The edible gel mix of claim 6 , further comprising at least one third sweet taste improving composition different from the at least one first sweet taste improving composition and the at least one second sweet taste improving composition and selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts, inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavorants, astringent compounds, polymers, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids, alcohols, and combinations thereof.
8 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener is rebaudioside A, stevioside, stevia, or combinations thereof.
9 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises a polyol.
10 . The edible gel mix of claim 9 , wherein the at least one polyol comprises erythritol.
11 . The edible gel mix of claim 9 , wherein the at least one polyol comprises xylitol.
12 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one amino acid.
13 . The edible gel mix of claim 12 , wherein the at least one amino acid comprises glycine, alanine, proline, hydroxyproline, glutamine, or combinations thereof.
14 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one polyamino acid.
15 . The edible gel mix of claim 14 , wherein the at least one polyamino acid comprises poly-L-aspartic acid, poly-L-α-lysine, poly-L-ε-lysine, poly-L-α-ornithine, poly-L-ε-ornithine, poly-L-arginine, salts thereof, or combinations thereof.
16 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one inorganic salt.
17 . The edible gel mix of claim 16 , wherein the at least one inorganic salt comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium salt.
18 . The edible gel mix of claim 16 , further comprising at least one inorganic phosphate.
19 . The edible gel mix of claim 18 , wherein the at least one inorganic phosphate comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium phosphate.
20 . The edible gel mix of claim 16 , further comprising at least one inorganic chloride.
21 . The edible gel mix of claim 20 , wherein the at least one inorganic chloride comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium chloride.
22 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one carbohydrate.
23 . The edible gel mix of claim 22 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate comprises sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, glucose, or sucrose.
24 . The edible gel mix of claim 23 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate is present in the edible gel mix in an amount from about 10,000 ppm to about 80,000 ppm of the composition.
25 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener.
26 . The edible gel mix of claim 25 , wherein the at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener comprises sucralose, acesulfame potassium or other salts, aspartame, alitame, saccharin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, cyclamate, neotame, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4 3 -methoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.
27 . The edible gel mix of claim 25 , wherein the at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener comprises saccharin or acesulfame potassium or other salts.
28 . The edible gel mix of claim 27 , wherein the at least one synthetic sweetener is present in the edible gel mix in an amount from about 10 ppm to about 100 ppm of the composition.
29 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 70% rebaudioside A by weight on a dry basis.
30 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 80% rebaudioside A by weight on a dry basis.
31 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 90% rebaudioside A by weight on a dry basis.
32 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 97% rebaudioside by weight on a dry basis.
33 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 98% rebaudioside by weight on a dry basis.
34 . The edible gel mix of claim 8 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 99% rebaudioside by weight on a dry basis.
35 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the gelling ingredient is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, alginate, carageenan, gum, pectin, konjac, agar, food acid, rennet, starch, starch derivatives, and combinations thereof.
36 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the edible gel mix can be used to make a gel dessert, a pudding, a jelly, a paste, a trifle, an aspic, a marshmallow, or a gummy candy.
37 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener is present in the edible gel mix in an amount in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent of the edible gel mix.
38 . The edible gel mix of claim 1 , wherein the sweet taste improving composition is present in the edible gel mix in an amount in the range of about 0.2 to about 20 weight percent of the edible gel mix.
39 . An edible gel composition comprising:
at least one gelling ingredient;
at least one high-potency sweetener;
at least one sweet taste improving composition; and
at least one fluid.
40 . The edible get composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener comprises a natural high-potency sweetener selected from the group consisting of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside E, dulcoside A, dulcoside B, rubusoside, stevia, stevioside, mogroside IV, mogroside V, Luo Han Guo sweetener, siamenoside, monatin and its salts (monatin SS, RR, RS, SR), curculin, glycyrrhizic acid and its salts, thaumatin, monellin, mabinlin, brazzein, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, glycyphyllin, phloridzin, trilobatin, baiyunoside, osladin, polypodoside A, pterocaryoside A, pterocaryoside B, mukurozioside, phlomisoside I, periandrin I, abrusoside A, cyclocarioside I, and combinations thereof.
41 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener comprises a synthetic high-potency sweetener selected from the group consisting of sucralose, acesulfame potassium and other salts, aspartame, alitame, saccharin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, cyclamate, neotame, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.
42 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises a first sweet taste improving composition selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts, inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavorants, astringent compounds, polymers, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids, alcohols, and combinations thereof.
43 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition imparts a more sugar-like temporal profile to the edible gel composition than the sweetener would have without the at least one sweet taste improving composition
44 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , further comprising at least one second sweet taste improving composition different from the at least one first sweet taste improving composition and selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts, inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavorants, astringent compounds, polymers, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids, alcohols, and combinations thereof.
45 . The edible gel composition of claim 44 , further comprising at least one third sweet taste improving composition different from the at least one first sweet taste improving composition and the at least one second sweet taste improving composition and selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts, inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavorants, astringent compounds, polymers, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids, alcohols, and combinations thereof.
46 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener is rebaudioside A, stevioside, stevia, or combinations thereof.
47 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises a polyol.
48 . The edible gel composition of claim 47 , wherein the at least one polyol comprises erythritol.
49 . The edible gel composition of claim 47 , wherein the at least one polyol comprises xylitol.
50 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one amino acid.
51 . The edible gel composition of claim 50 , wherein the at least one amino acid comprises glycine, alanine, proline, hydroxyproline, glutamine, or combinations thereof.
52 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one polyamino acid.
53 . The edible gel composition of claim 52 , wherein the at least one polyamino acid comprises poly-L-aspartic acid, poly-L-α-lysine, poly-L-ε-lysine, poly-L-α-ornithine, poly-L-ε-ornithine, poly-L-arginine, salts thereof, or combinations thereof.
54 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one inorganic salt.
55 . The edible gel composition of claim 54 , wherein the at least one inorganic salt comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium salt.
56 . The edible gel composition of claim 54 , further comprising at least one inorganic phosphate.
57 . The edible gel composition of claim 56 , wherein the at least one inorganic phosphate comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium phosphate.
58 . The edible gel composition of claim 54 , further comprising at least one inorganic chloride.
59 . The edible gel composition of claim 58 , wherein the at least one inorganic chloride comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium chloride.
60 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one carbohydrate.
61 . The edible gel composition of claim 60 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate comprises sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, glucose, or sucrose.
62 . The edible gel composition of claim 61 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate is present in the edible gel composition in an amount from about 10,000 ppm to about 80,000 ppm of the composition.
63 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener.
64 . The edible gel composition of claim 63 , wherein the at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener comprises sucralose, acesulfame potassium or other salts, aspartame, alitame, saccharin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, cyclamate, neotame, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, salts thereof and combinations thereof.
65 . The edible gel composition of claim 63 , wherein the at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener comprises saccharin or acesulfame potassium or other salts.
66 . The edible gel composition of claim 65 , wherein the at least one synthetic sweetener is present in the edible gel composition in an amount from about 10 ppm to about 100 ppm of the composition.
67 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 70% rebaudioside A by weight on a dry basis.
68 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 80% rebaudioside A by weight on a dry basis.
69 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 90% rebaudioside A by weight on a dry basis.
70 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 97% rebaudioside by weight on a dry basis.
71 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 98% rebaudioside by weight on a dry basis.
72 . The edible gel composition of claim 46 , wherein the rebaudioside A comprises rebaudioside A in a purity greater than about 99% rebaudioside by weight on a dry basis.
73 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one fluid is water.
74 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one fluid is a juice.
75 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one fluid is a dairy product or a dairy analogue product.
76 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the gelling ingredient is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, alginate, carageenan, gum, pectin, konjac, agar, food acid, rennet, starch, starch derivatives, and combinations thereof.
77 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the edible gel composition is a gel dessert, a pudding, a jelly, a paste, a trifle, an aspic, a marshmallow, or a gummy candy.
78 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener is present in the edible gel mix in an amount in the range of about 0.002 to about 0.5 weight percent of the edible gel composition.
79 . The edible gel composition of claim 39 , wherein the sweet taste improving composition is present in the edible gel mix in an amount in the range of about 0.004 to about 1 weight percent of the edible gel composition.