Confection with High-Potency Sweetener
The present invention relates generally to confections comprising non-caloric or low-caloric high-potency sweeteners and methods for making and using them. In particular, the present invention relates to different confections comprising at least one non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic high-potency sweetener, at least one sweet taste improving composition, and a base composition. The present invention also relates to confections 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 confections and methods provide a more sugar-like temporal profile, including sweetness onset and sweetness linger, and/or a more sugar-like flavor profile.
1 . A confection comprising:
a base composition;
at least one high-potency sweetener; and
at least one sweet taste improving composition.
2 . The confection 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, rebaudioside F, 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 confection 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 confection 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 confection of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition imparts a more sugar-like temporal profile to the confection than the sweetener would have without the at least one sweet taste improving composition.
6 . The confection 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 confection of claim 8 , 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 confection of claim 1 , wherein the at least one high-potency sweetener is rebaudioside A, stevioside, stevia, or combinations thereof.
9 . The confection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises a polyol.
10 . The confection of claim 9 , wherein the at least one polyol comprises erythritol.
11 . The confection of claim 9 , wherein the at least one polyol comprises xylitol.
12 . The confection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one amino acid.
13 . The confection of claim 12 , wherein the at least one amino acid comprises glycine, alanine, proline, hydroxyproline, glutamine, or combinations thereof.
14 . The confection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one polyamino acid.
15 . The confection 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-ε-ornithine, poly-L-arginine, salts thereof, or combinations thereof.
16 . The confection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one inorganic salt.
17 . The confection of claim 16 , wherein the at least one inorganic salt comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium salt.
18 . The confection of claim 16 , further comprising at least one inorganic phosphate.
19 . The confection of claim 18 , wherein the at least one inorganic phosphate comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium phosphate.
20 . The confection of claim 16 , further comprising at least one inorganic chloride.
21 . The confection of claim 20 , wherein the at least one inorganic chloride comprises a sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium chloride.
22 . The confection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one carbohydrate.
23 . The confection of claim 22 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate comprises sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, glucose, or sucrose.
24 . The confection of claim 23 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate is present in the confection in an amount from about 10,000 ppm to about 80,000 ppm of the composition.
25 . The confection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sweet taste improving composition comprises at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener.
26 . The confection 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-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 confection of claim 25 , wherein the at least one synthetic high-potency sweetener comprises saccharin or acesulfame potassium or other salts.
28 . The confection of claim 27 , wherein the at least one synthetic sweetener is present in the confection in an amount from about 10 ppm to about 100 ppm of the composition.
29 . The confection 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 confection 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 confection 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 confection 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 confection 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 confection 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 confection of claim 1 , wherein the confection is selected from the group consisting of pastries, yogurt, jellies, drinkable jellies, puddings, Bavarian cream, blancmange, cakes, brownies, mousse, ice cream, ice milk, lacto-ice, sherbets, dessert ices, crackers, biscuits, buns with bean-jam filling, halvah, alfajor, rice cakes, chewing gum, hard candy, soft candy, mints, nougat candy, jelly beans, fudge, toffee, taffy, Swiss milk tablet, licorice candy, chocolates, gelatin candies, marshmallow, marzipan, divinity, cotton candy, fruit flavored sauces, chocolate sauces, edible gels, butter cremes, flour pastes, whipped cream, strawberry jam, marmalade, sweet breads, and combinations thereof.
36 . The confection of claim 1 , wherein the base composition comprises flour, yeast, water, salt, butter, eggs, milk, milk powder, liquor, gelatin, nuts, chocolate, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, natural flavors, artificial flavors, colorings, polyols, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, lactitol, malic acid, magnesium stearate, lecithin, hydrogenated glucose syrup, glycerine, natural or synthetic gum, starch, and combinations thereof.
37 . The confection of claim 1 , further comprising a bulk sweetener.
38 . The confection of claim 1 , wherein the sweet taste improving composition functions as a bulk sweetener.
39 . The confection of claim 1 , wherein the base composition is present in the confection in an amount in the range of about 0.1 to about 99 weight percent of the confection.
40 . The confection of claim 1 , wherein the natural high-potency sweetener is present in the confection in an amount in the range of about 50 ppm to about 3000 ppm of the confection.