阅读说明：本技术 甜味组合物 (Sweet taste composition ) 是由 J·纳赫巴高尔 M·厄尔本克利克 V·柏林格 于 2017-12-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种甜味组合物,该甜味组合物包含天然甜味碳水化合物、甜叶菊化合物、甜茶苷和单宁,其中组分d)以1mg/L至400mg/L的范围的量存在。本发明还涉及一种甜味组合物,该甜味组合物包含天然甜味碳水化合物、甜叶菊化合物、甜茶苷、单宁和橡树提取物或石榴提取物。本发明进一步涉及一种甜味组合物,该甜味组合物包含1mg/L至400mg/L范围的量的安赛蜜或阿斯巴甜、蔗糖素、甜叶菊化合物、糖精或甜蜜素、新橙皮苷和单宁。此外,本发明涉及一种甜味组合物,其包含a)0.1g/L至50g/L的天然甜味碳水化合物,b)40g/L至120g/L不同于a)的天然甜味碳水化合物,和c)30mg/L至300mg/L的甜茶苷。并且,本发明涉及所述甜味组合物用于增甜和制备饮料的用途。(The present invention relates to a sweetening composition comprising natural sweetening carbohydrates, stevia compounds, rubusoside and tannins, wherein component d) is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400 mg/L. The present invention also relates to a sweetening composition comprising natural sweetening carbohydrates, stevia compounds, rubusoside, tannins and either oak extract or pomegranate extract. The invention further relates to a sweetening composition comprising acesulfame k or aspartame, sucralose, stevia compounds, saccharin or cyclamate, neohesperidin and tannins in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400 mg/L. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a sweetening composition comprising a) from 0.1 to 50g/L of natural sweet carbohydrate, b) from 40 to 120g/L of natural sweet carbohydrate different from a), and c) from 30 to 300mg/L of rubusoside. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of said sweetening composition for sweetening and preparing beverages.)

1. A sweet taste composition comprising

a) At least one natural sweet carbohydrate, in particular sucrose,

b) at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside and mixtures thereof,

c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, or any combination thereof, and

d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative, or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative,

wherein component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, based on the at least one tannin, in particular the tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative,

and/or

Wherein component c) is in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, component d) is in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, component b) is present in an amount ranging from 45 wt% to 75 wt%, component c), in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, is present in an amount ranging from 2 wt% to 40 wt%, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount ranging from 2 wt% to 40 wt%, based on the total weight of component b), component c) and component d), wherein the total amount of component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100 wt%.

2. The sweetening composition of claim 1,

the at least one natural sweet carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, is present in an amount ranging from 5g/L to 80g/L, preferably from 15g/L to 70g/L, and more preferably from 25g/L to 55g/L, and/or wherein,

rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is present in an amount ranging from 20mg/L to 200mg/L, preferably from 20mg/L to 150mg/L, and more preferably from 30mg/L to 125 mg/L.

3. A sweet-tasting composition, in particular according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

a) at least one natural sweet carbohydrate, in particular sucrose,

b) at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside and mixtures thereof,

c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, or any combination thereof,

d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative, and

e) an oak extract and/or a pomegranate extract,

in particular, wherein component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250 mg/L.

4. The sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein,

component c) in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, based on the total weight of component b), component c) and component d), said component d) being in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, said component b) being present in an amount of from 50 to 70 wt%, in particular from 55 to 65 wt.%, said component c), in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative being present in an amount of from 5 to 35 wt.%, in particular in an amount of from 10 to 30 wt.%, and said component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, in an amount ranging from 5 to 35 wt.%, in particular from 10 to 30 wt.%, wherein the total amount of component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100% by weight in each case.

5. A sweet taste composition comprising

a) Acesulfame k and/or aspartame,

b) sucralose and/or at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside and mixtures thereof, and/or saccharin and/or cyclamate,

c) neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin,

d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative,

wherein component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, based on the at least one tannin, in particular the tannic acid and the at least one tannic acid derivative,

and/or

Wherein component a) is in particular acesulfame k, component b) is in particular sucralose, component c) is in particular neohesperidin, component d) is in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, component a) is present in an amount ranging from 10 to 50 wt.%, component b) is present in an amount ranging from 15 to 65 wt.%, component c) is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 4 wt.% and component d) is present in an amount ranging from 5 to 50 wt.%, based on the total weight of component a), component b), component c) and component d), wherein the total amount of component a), component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100 wt.%.

6. The sweetening composition of claim 5, wherein,

based on the total weight of component a), component b), component c) and component d), component a) is in particular acesulfame K, said component b) being in particular sucralose, said component c) being in particular neohesperidin, said component d) being in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, said component a) being present in an amount of from 15 to 45 wt%, in particular in an amount of from 20 to 40 wt.%, said component b) being present in an amount of from 20 to 55 wt.%, in particular in an amount ranging from 30 to 45 wt%, said component c) being present in an amount ranging from 0.2 to 3 wt%, in particular in an amount of from 0.5 to 2% by weight, and said component d) is present in an amount of from 10 to 40% by weight, in particular from 15 to 35% by weight, wherein the total amount of component a), component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100% by weight in each case.

7. The sweetening composition of claim 5 or 6, wherein,

component b) comprises or consists of sucralose, saccharin and cyclamate, or wherein,

component b) comprises or consists of at least one stevia compound, especially selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside and mixtures thereof, saccharin and cyclamate.

8. The sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein

Acesulfame K and/or aspartame are present in an amount ranging from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, preferably from 50mg/L to 200mg/L, and more preferably from 75mg/L to 150mg/L, and/or wherein,

sucralose is present in an amount ranging from 20mg/L to 750mg/L, preferably from 40mg/L to 550mg/L, and more preferably from 60mg/L to 450mg/L, and/or wherein,

neohesperidin is present in an amount in the range of from 0.01mg/L to 20mg/L, preferably from 0.1mg/L to 15mg/L, and more preferably from 1.0mg/L to 10mg/L, and/or wherein,

saccharin is present in an amount in the range of from 10mg/L to 750mg/L, preferably from 20mg/L to 500mg/L, and more preferably from 30mg/L to 400mg/L, and/or, wherein,

the sodium cyclamate is present in an amount ranging from 10mg/L to 500mg/L, preferably from 50mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 75mg/L to 200mg/L, and/or, wherein,

thaumatin is present in an amount ranging from 0.01mg/L to 10mg/L, preferably from 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, and more preferably from 0.1mg/L to 2mg/L, and/or wherein,

rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is present in an amount in the range of from 5mg/L to 200mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 150mg/L, and more preferably from 20mg/L to 125mg/L, and/or wherein,

phloretin is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 250mg/L, preferably from 5mg/L to 200mg/L, and more preferably from 10mg/L to 150mg/L, and/or, wherein,

trilobatin is present in an amount ranging from 0.1mg/L to 250mg/L, preferably from 1mg/L to 200mg/L, and more preferably from 5mg/L to 150mg/L, and/or wherein,

monatin is present in an amount in the range of from 0.01mg/L to 20mg/L, preferably from 0.1mg/L to 10mg/L, and more preferably from 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, and/or, wherein,

hesperetin is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 750mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 500mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250 mg/L.

9. The sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein

The at least one stevia compound is a mixture comprising rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, in particular a mixture consisting of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, wherein rebaudioside a is present in an amount ranging from 80.0 wt% to 99.0 wt%, in particular from 85.0 wt% to 95.0 wt%, and more preferably from 86.0 wt% to 94.3 wt%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt% to 1.5 wt%, in particular from 0.2 wt% to 1.2 wt%, and more preferably from 0.3 wt% to 0.9 wt%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 0.9 wt% to 18.5 wt%, in particular from 4.8 wt% to 13.8 wt%, or from 5.4 wt% to 13.4 wt%, based on the total weight of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D.

10. The sweetening composition of any one of claims 1-9, wherein,

based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D,

rebaudioside A is present in an amount ranging from 90.5 wt% to 94.0 wt%,

rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt% to 1.0 wt%, and

rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 5.8 wt% to 8.5 wt%;

or

Wherein, based on the total weight of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D,

rebaudioside A is present in an amount ranging from 90.9 wt% to 94.4 wt%,

rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt% to 0.5 wt%, and

rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 5.4 wt% to 8.6 wt%.

11. A sweetening composition, the composition comprising:

a)0.1 to 50g/L of natural sweet carbohydrates, in particular selected from the group consisting of natural sweet monosaccharides,

b)40g/L to 120g/L of natural sweet carbohydrates different from a), in particular selected from the group consisting of natural sweet disaccharides, and

c)30mg/L to 300mg/L rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative or 0.01mg/L to 20mg/L neohesperidin or 0.01mg/L to 10mg/L thaumatin or 1mg/L to 250mg/L phloretin or trilobatin or 0.01mg/L to 20mg/L monatin or 1mg/L to 750mg/L hesperetin or at least one enzymatically treated steviol glycoside or any mixture thereof, in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or at least one enzymatically treated steviol glycoside.

12. The sweetening composition of claim 11, the composition comprising:

a)0.5 to 30g/L of natural sweet carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of natural sweet monosaccharides,

b) from 70g/L to 110g/L of a natural sweet carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of natural sweet disaccharides, and

c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative in an amount of 40mg/L to 220mg/L, or neohesperidin in an amount of 0.1mg/L to 15mg/L, and preferably 1.0mg/L to 10mg/L, or thaumatin in an amount of 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, and preferably 0.1mg/L to 2mg/L, or phloretin in an amount of 5mg/L to 200mg/L, and preferably 10mg/L to 150mg/L, or trilobatin in an amount of 1mg/L to 200mg/L, and preferably 5mg/L to 150mg/L, or monatin in an amount of 0.1mg/L to 10mg/L, and preferably 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, or hesperetin in an amount of 10mg/L to 500mg/L, and preferably 25mg/L to 250 mg/L.

13. The sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein,

the at least one natural sweet carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of natural sweet monosaccharides, natural sweet disaccharides, sweet sugar alcohols and mixtures thereof.

14. The sweetening composition of claim 13, wherein,

the sweet natural monosaccharide is selected from the group consisting of fructose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, tagatose, galactose and mixtures thereof, and/or

Wherein the sweet natural disaccharide is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, lactose, maltose and mixtures thereof, and/or wherein the sweet sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of erythritol, glycerol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, galactitol and mixtures thereof, and/or wherein the sweet natural disaccharide is sucrose.

15. The sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising

At least one flavouring ingredient selected from the group consisting of galangal, cocoa, cinnamon, lemon juice concentrate, coca leaves, orange oil, mentha piperita, pine, cardamom, nutmeg skin, clove, lime oil, nutmeg oil, mustard seed oil, caramel, rosemary, pepper, honey, ginger, vanilla, licorice extract, kola and kola extracts, or mixtures thereof, and/or the composition further comprises taurine and/or caffeine.

16. The sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein

The composition is a dry mixture, in particular in powder and/or granular form.

17. The sweetening composition of any one of claims 1-15, further comprising water.

18. Use of the sweetening composition of any one of the preceding claims to sweeten or serve as a non-carbonated or carbonated beverage, in particular a soft drink or an energy drink.

19. Use of the sweetening composition of any one of claims 1-17 for the preparation of a syrup as a precursor in the preparation of a beverage, in particular a carbonated beverage, especially a soft drink or an energy drink.

20. Use of the sweetening composition of any one of claims 1-17 for the preparation of a beverage, in particular a carbonated beverage.

21. A beverage, in particular a carbonated beverage, comprising or consisting of the sweetening composition of any one of claims 1-17.

22. The beverage according to claim 21, wherein,

the combination of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D is present in the beverage at a concentration of 0.01 to 1.0g/L, preferably 0.05 to 0.75g/L, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.6g/L, and/or

Wherein the combination of sweet natural carbohydrate and the sweet sugar alcohol is present in the beverage at a concentration of no more than 40g/L, preferably from 5g/L to 35g/L, and more preferably from 10g/L to 25 g/L.

23. Beverage according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the beverage is a soft drink, in particular a cola or cola flavored type soft drink, or an energy drink.

24. A method of preparing the beverage of any one of claims 21-23, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the sweetening composition of any one of claims 1-17,

b) providing water, an

c) Mixing the components provided in a) and b).

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of carbonating the beverage (step d)).

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, further comprising the step of,

at least one thickener, at least one sweet natural carbohydrate, at least one sweet sugar alcohol, at least one organic acid and/or at least one flavoring ingredient is added to the sweet composition before mixing with water, or at least one thickener, at least one sweet natural carbohydrate, at least one sweet sugar alcohol, at least one organic acid and/or at least one flavoring ingredient is added to a mixture comprising water and the sweet composition, and/or at least one thickener, at least one sweet natural carbohydrate, at least one sweet sugar alcohol, at least one organic acid and/or at least one flavoring ingredient is added to water before mixing with the sweet composition, and/or wherein

Adding the sweet natural carbohydrate and/or at least one sweet sugar alcohol to the mixture comprising water and the sweet composition before and/or after the carbonation step.

27. Use of a combination for shortening the lingering sweetness of an artificial sweetener, in particular an artificial sweetener for a beverage, in particular a stevia compound for a beverage, and for converting the onset of a temporary sweetness sensation of the artificial sweetener to the onset of a temporary sweetness sensation of natural sugar, in particular sucrose, the combination comprising: i) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated rubusoside or any combination thereof, and ii) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sweetening composition, the use of the sweetening composition for the preparation of sweetening syrups and beverages and the preparation of said beverages.

Background

Common soft drinks typically contain large amounts of natural sugars such as sucrose, glucose, fructose or mixtures thereof. The caloric content of these natural sugars is generally in the range of 3.6kcal/g to 3.9 kcal/g. Many attempts have been made to reduce the calorie content of beverages such as soft drinks. In some cases, the natural sugars have been replaced with steviol glycosides. Some steviol glycosides have a sweetening power of about 240 to 400 times that of the natural sugar sucrose. Steviol glycosides are derived from the leaf extract of the Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). The four major steviol glycosides found in the leaves of the stevia plant are stevioside (stevioside) (about 5 wt% to 10 wt%), rebaudioside (rebaudioside) a (about 2 wt% to 4 wt%), rebaudioside C (about 1 wt% to 2 wt%), and dulcoside (dulcoside) a (about 0.5 wt% to 1 wt%). Other steviol glycosides, found in leaf extracts of stevia plants, but in considerable trace amounts, are rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D and rebaudioside E. A common aglycone of all steviol glycosides is steviol, which belongs to the diterpenoid family.

Unfortunately, stevia sweetened beverages have several disadvantages that exceed the calorie content of conventional beverages for many consumers. Steviol glycosides are known to cause bitter and/or licorice-like aftertastes, and in some cases also to produce a metallic aftertaste. Furthermore, the perception of sweetness is somewhat delayed, i.e. sweetness exhibits a so-called lingering (lingering). In some cases, steviol glycosides are also responsible for a raw mouthfeel (blunt mouthfeel) or dry mouthfeel.

In EP2519118, sweet compositions are disclosed, comprising a sweetener and at least one sweetness enhancer selected from terpenes, flavonoids, amino acids, proteins, polyols, other known natural sweeteners, seco-dammarane glycosides (seco-dammarane) and their analogues. Suitable sweetness enhancers are reported to include stevia sweeteners such as stevioside, steviolbioside (steviolbioside), rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside F, and dulcoside a. The at least one sweetness enhancer must be present in the composition in an amount at or below the sweetness detection threshold level of the at least one sweetness enhancer, and the at least one sweetener and the at least one sweetness enhancer are different.

In EP 2386211, the use of rubusoside (rubusoside) is described to mask, reduce or suppress the bitter, sour and/or astringent taste effects of bitter, sour and/or astringent substances. Compositions containing rubusoside should mask, reduce or inhibit the bitter, acidic and/or astringent taste effects of compounds such as stevioside and rebaudioside A in foods and pharmaceuticals.

Further, WO 2008/049256 relates to a sweetened consumable comprising a) at least 0.0001% of at least one sweetener, wherein the sweetener comprises sucrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol (inositol), acesulfame potassium (acesulfame potassium), aspartame (aspartame), neotame (neotame), sucralose (sucralose), saccharin or combinations thereof, wherein the at least one sweetener or combination of sweeteners is present at a concentration above the sweetness detection threshold, which is at a concentration at least equivalent to 2% sucrose, and b) at least one sweetness enhancer selected from the group consisting of naringin dihydrochalcone (naringin dihydrochaetoside), mogroside V, luo han guo extract (swinge extract), Rubusoside, Rubus extract (rubus extract), stevioside, and rebaudioside A. Each sweetness enhancer should be present at a concentration near its sweetness detection threshold. The concentration should be 2ppm to 60ppm for naringin dihydrochalcone, 1.4ppm to 56ppm for rubusoside, 2ppm to 80ppm for rubus extract, 0.4ppm to 12.5ppm for mogroside V, 2ppm to 60ppm for luo han guo extract, 2ppm to 60ppm for stevioside, 1ppm to 30ppm for rebaudioside A.

Many other attempts have also been made to overcome the above disadvantages of steviol glycoside sweeteners, such as bitter and/or licorice-like aftertaste, raw or dry mouthfeel and/or sweet aftertaste.

For example, according to WO 2012/073121 a2, by reducing or eliminating rebaudioside C or dulcoside a or both from a stevia composition, the bitter aftertaste of steviol glycosides should be reduced or eliminated. However, it has been found that reduction of rebaudioside C and/or dulcoside a itself does not guarantee a reduction in the bitter aftertaste. Furthermore, even if the stevia composition is devoid of rebaudioside C or dulcoside a, the consumer experiences a slow onset (onset) of sweetness sensation, and sometimes even longer duration of sweetness sensation.

In WO 2008/147726 it is described that a more sugar-like flavour profile should be obtained by a sweetener composition comprising at least a) a sweetness enhancer, such as urea or thiourea, b) at least one sweetener comprising a carbohydrate sweetener, a natural high-potency sweetener, a synthetic high-potency sweetener or a combination thereof, such as rebaudioside, sucralose, aspartame or acesulfame potassium, and c) at least one sweet taste improving composition selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids or mixtures thereof.

According to EP 2474240 a1, a new sweet beverage formulation without a bitter aftertaste should be obtained by using rebaudioside D in combination with an acidulant comprising at least lactic acid and one or both of tartaric and citric acids and no phosphoric acid.

It can be concluded from WO 2011/146463 a2 that bitterness in other sweetening compositions containing steviol glycosides should be masked by adding an increased amount of rebaudioside D relative to naturally occurring compositions.

EP 2486806 a1 discloses a diet orange juice beverage using a mixture of 84 wt% rebaudioside a and 16 wt% rebaudioside D. Unlike low-calorie orange juice sweetened with conventional stevia extract, during sensory evaluation, a pleasant taste similar to sucrose was observed, full mouthfeel (full mouthfeel), and no bitterness, and no aftertaste. Similar results have been reported for zero calorie carbonated beverages.

According to WO 2008/112967 a1, the metallic aftertaste experienced by beverages containing conventional steviol glycosides should be masked by the presence of anisic acid.

Also, it is disclosed in WO2012/109585a1 that attributes of steviol glycosides such as bitterness, sweetness aftertaste and licorice taste can be overcome by a sweetener composition comprising a mixture of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B and steviol glycosides, particularly where the ratio of rebaudioside B to total steviol glycosides in the mixture ranges from 0.5% to about 50%, and more preferably from about 5% to about 40%.

Sucrose, as a standard natural sweetener, has a characteristic temporal and intense sweetness profile. Although some artificial sweeteners have a faster onset of sweetness than sucrose, most artificial sweeteners, such as stevia compounds, not only have a significantly slower onset (onset), but also exhibit a significantly longer duration (linger) than sucrose. The above-mentioned disadvantages associated with the use of steviol glycosides have not yet been overcome to a satisfactory extent. Thus, it would be desirable to have a beverage with less or no natural sweetener, and which has greatly improved sweetness and aroma characteristics.

Thus, there remains a need to provide reduced calorie beverages that do not exhibit a delayed onset of sweetness perception, and optionally also do not suffer from bitter or licorice-like aftertastes and/or do not cause a harsh or dry mouthfeel. Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to obtain a temporal sweetness profile similar or even substantially identical to natural sugars, i.e. a natural sweetness profile, in particular both in terms of sweetness onset and sweetness duration (lingering time).

Disclosure of Invention

Detailed Description

The problem to be solved by the present invention is surprisingly solved by a sweetening composition according to the first embodiment comprising a) at least one natural sweet carbohydrate, b) at least one stevia compound, c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin or at least one enzyme-treated steviol glycoside, any combination thereof, and d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, or a composition or an extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative in a certain amount based on said at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and at least one tannic acid derivative.

For the first embodiment, if the composition of the first embodiment is in the form of an aqueous composition, in particular a beverage, the at least one tannin, in particular tannin and/or at least one tannin derivative or a composition or extract containing tannin and/or at least one tannin derivative is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannin and at least one tannin derivative.

Alternatively or simultaneously, a first embodiment of the sweetening composition is characterized in that component c) in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, component d) in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, component b) being present in an amount ranging from 45 wt% to 75 wt%, component c) in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative being present in an amount ranging from 2 wt% to 40 wt%, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative being present in an amount ranging from 2 wt% to 40 wt%, based on the total weight of component b), component c) and component d), wherein the total amount of component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100 wt%. Weight ranges are particularly applicable to alternative embodiments, wherein the composition of the first embodiment represents a dry mixture, particularly in powder and/or granular form.

According to a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned alternative forms of the first embodiment of the sweetening composition, based on the total weight of component b), component c) in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, component d) in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, component b) being present in an amount ranging from 50 wt% to 70 wt%, in particular from 55 wt% to 65 wt%, component c), in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, being present in an amount ranging from 5 wt% to 35 wt%, in particular from 10 wt% to 30 wt%, and component d), in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, being present in an amount ranging from 5 wt% to 35 wt%, in particular from 10 wt% to 30 wt%, wherein, in each case, the total amount of component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100% by weight.

The at least one natural sweet carbohydrate of the first embodiment is in particular sucrose. Also, in the at least one stevia compound of the first embodiment, they are preferably selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside a and mixtures thereof.

Among the compounds of component c) of the first embodiment of the sweetening composition of the invention, rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is preferred, particularly preferably rubusoside.

Tannins in the sense of the present invention shall comprise polyphenols, in particular so-called plant polyphenols, which have an astringent feel. It is presently believed that the astringency is caused by or associated with the binding reaction of the polyphenol to the protein. For example, tannic acid coagulates albumin and gelatin. Tannins typically have two or three phenolic hydroxyl groups on the benzene ring. Tannins can be classified, for example, into pyrogallol-type tannins and catechol-type tannins. Tannins can also be classified as so-called hydrolysable tannins, for example based on ellagic acid (ellagic acid) and gallic acid (gallic acid), and condensed tannins, for example based on catechol. The tannins of the present invention can be derived from any of the above-identified groups.

Suitable tannins include, for example, ellagitannins, such as punicalagin and geraniin (geranii), as well as gallotannins belonging to the class of hydrolysable tannins, and stilbenoids, such as piceatannol glucoside (astringin) or resveratrol (resveratrol). Ellagitannins usually contain various numbers of hexahydroxydiphenyloyl (HHDP) units, as well as galloyl (galloyl) and/or sanguisorbayl (sanguisorboyl) units bound to sugar moieties. Suitable representatives of tannins also include epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate and fucoidan (pheochronins).

Tannins can be obtained, for example, from extracts of oak or pomegranate, in particular pomegranate bark extracts. Gallic acid is found, for example, in gallnuts (gallnuts), sumac (sumac), hamamelis, tea, oak bark.

The composition or extract containing at least one tannin, in particular tannin and/or at least one tannin derivative, can be obtained from the seeds, bark, cone, husk and/or heartwood of oak, pomegranate, chestnut, nutgall or mimosa (mimosa), in particular oak or pomegranate.

Tannic acid in the sense of the present invention includes especially polygalloylglucose and polygalloylquinic acid esters, the number of galloyl moieties per molecule of which ranges especially from 2 up to 12, especially from 3 to 12, for example decagalloylglucose (dacagaloyl glucose). Tannic acid in the sense of the present invention is therefore understood to be formed, for example, from gallic acid molecules and glucose. Tannic acid will typically be hydrolysed to glucose and gallic acid and/or ellagic acid units. Generally, the term tannic acid can refer to either a single compound or a mixture of two or more compounds.

Enzymatically treated steviol glycosides include those which have been treated with, for example, cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase).

It has been found that the compounds of component c) of the first embodiment of the invention, in particular rubusoside or rubusoside derivatives or neohesperidin or enzymatically treated steviol glycosides, and even more particularly rubusoside, contribute to the improvement of the sweetness profile thereof at onset for the composition of the invention, diverting the sweet taste sensation towards the actual consumption of the sweet taste composition of the product containing said sweet taste composition of the first embodiment of the invention. Rubusoside (CAS No: 64849-39-4) can be found in the leaves of Rubus suavissimus S.Lee, stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Rubusoside in the sense of the present invention shall also comprise enzymatically treated rubusoside.

For the sweetening composition according to the first embodiment, preferably, the at least one natural sweet carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, is present in an amount ranging from 5 to 80g/L, preferably from 15 to 70g/L, and more preferably from 25 to 55 g/L. Alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the first embodiment, the rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is preferably present in an amount ranging from 20mg/L to 200mg/L, more preferably from 20mg/L to 150mg/L, and in particular from 30mg/L to 125 mg/L.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is also solved by a sweetening composition, also referred to as second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention, comprising a) at least one natural sweet carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, b) at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside a and mixtures thereof, c) rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin (neohesperidin) and/or thaumatin (thaumatin) and/or phloretin (phloretin) and/or trilobatin and/or monatin (monatin) and/or hesperetin) and/or at least one enzymatically treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside or at least one rubusoside derivative or neohesperidin or at least one enzymatically treated steviol glycoside, or any combination thereof, d) tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, and e) oak extract and/or pomegranate extract.

Among the compounds of component c) of the second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the invention, rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is preferred, particularly preferably rubusoside.

In said second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the invention, the at least one natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate, in particular sucrose, is present in an amount ranging preferably from 5 to 80g/L, more preferably from 15 to 70g/L, and in particular from 25 to 55 g/L. Alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the second embodiment, rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is present in an amount ranging preferably from 20mg/L to 200mg/L, more preferably from 20mg/L to 150mg/L, and in particular from 30mg/L to 125 mg/L. Also, alternatively or additionally, in said second embodiment of the sweetening composition of the invention, tannic acid and/or at least one derivative of tannic acid is preferably present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, more preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and in particular from 25 to 250 mg/L.

The problem underlying the present invention is also solved by a sweetening composition, also referred to as third embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention, comprising a) acesulfame-K (acesulfame-K) and/or aspartame, in particular acesulfame-K, b) sucralose and/or at least one stevia compound and/or saccharin and/or cyclamate, in particular the stevia compound is selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside and mixtures thereof, c) neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin, d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative.

Among the compounds of component c) of the third embodiment of the sweetening composition of the invention, neohesperidin and rubusoside are preferred, neohesperidin being particularly preferred.

In this third embodiment, component d) is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, based on at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and at least one tannin derivative.

Such a sweetening composition according to the third embodiment of the invention is particularly preferred, said sweetening composition comprising a) acesulfame and/or aspartame, in particular acesulfame, b) sucralose or saccharin or at least one stevia compound, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside glycosides and mixtures thereof, c) neohesperidin and d) at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative or a composition or extract containing tannic acid and/or at least one tannin derivative, wherein component d) is present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 400mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 300mg/L, and more preferably from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, based on the at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and the at least one tannin derivative, if the composition of the third embodiment is an aqueous composition, it is particularly in the form of a beverage.

Alternatively or simultaneously, a third embodiment of the sweetening composition is characterized in that component a) is in particular acesulfame k, component b) is in particular sucralose, component c) is in particular neohesperidin, component d) is in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, component a) is present in an amount ranging from 10 to 50 wt.%, component b) is present in an amount ranging from 15 to 65 wt.%, component c) is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 4 wt.% and component d) is present in an amount ranging from 5 to 50 wt.%, based on the total weight of component a), component b), component c) and component d), wherein the total amount of component a), component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100 wt.%.

According to a preferred embodiment, the above alternative of the third embodiment of the aforementioned sweetening composition, based on the total weight of component a), component b), component c) and component d), component a) is in particular acesulfame potassium, component b) is in particular sucralose, component c) is in particular neohesperidin, component d) is in particular tannic acid and/or at least one tannic acid derivative, component a) is present in an amount ranging from 15 wt% to 45 wt%, in particular from 20 wt% to 40 wt%, component b) is present in an amount ranging from 20 wt% to 55 wt%, in particular from 30 wt% to 45 wt%, component c) is present in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt% to 3 wt%, in particular from 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%, and component d) is present in an amount ranging from 10 wt% to 40 wt%, in particular from 15 wt% to 35 wt%, wherein the total amount of component a), component b), component c) and component d) always amounts to 100% by weight in each case.

A particularly preferred result of an improved sweetness profile, i.e. a sweetness profile close to or even essentially identical to natural sugar, i.e. the so-called natural sweetness profile, is obtained by a third embodiment of the sweetener composition according to the invention, wherein component b) comprises sucralose, saccharin and cyclamate or component b) consists of sucralose, saccharin and cyclamate or, alternatively, wherein component b) comprises or consists of at least one stevia compound, saccharin and cyclamate, in particular selected from the group consisting of steviol glycosides, rebaudioside and mixtures thereof.

In the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the invention, particularly in the form of an aqueous composition, preferably in the form of a beverage, the acesulfame potassium and/or aspartame are preferably present in an amount ranging from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, more preferably from 50mg/L to 200mg/L, and especially from 75mg/L to 150 mg/L. Alternatively or additionally, in the sweet taste composition of the third embodiment of the invention, sucralose is preferably present in an amount ranging from 20mg/L to 750mg/L, more preferably from 40mg/L to 550mg/L, and particularly from 60mg/L to 450 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the invention, and in preferred embodiments of the first and second embodiments, neohesperidin is preferably present in an amount ranging from 0.01mg/L to 20mg/L, more preferably from 0.1mg/L to 15mg/L, and especially from 1.0mg/L to 10 mg/L. Alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the invention saccharin is preferably present in an amount in the range from 10mg/L to 750mg/L, more preferably from 20mg/L to 500mg/L, and especially from 30mg/L to 400 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in said sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the present invention, the sodium cyclamate is preferably present in an amount ranging from 10mg/L to 500mg/L, more preferably from 50mg/L to 300mg/L, and in particular from 75mg/L to 200 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the invention, and also in preferred embodiments of the first and second embodiments, thaumatin is preferably present in an amount ranging from 0.01mg/L to 10mg/L, more preferably from 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, and especially from 0.1mg/L to 2 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the invention, rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is preferably present in an amount ranging from 5mg/L to 200mg/L, more preferably from 10mg/L to 150mg/L, and in particular from 20mg/L to 125 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweet taste composition of the third embodiment of the present invention, and also in preferred embodiments of the first and second embodiments, phloretin is preferably present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 250mg/L, more preferably from 5mg/L to 200mg/L, and in particular from 10mg/L to 150 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the present invention, and also in preferred embodiments of the first and second embodiments, trilobatin is preferably present in an amount ranging from 0.1mg/L to 250mg/L, more preferably from 1mg/L to 200mg/L, and in particular from 5mg/L to 150 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweetening composition of the third embodiment of the present invention, and also in preferred embodiments of the first and second embodiments, monatin is preferably present in an amount ranging from 0.01mg/L to 20mg, more preferably from 0.1mg/L to 10mg/L, and particularly from 0.05mg/L to 5 mg/L. And, alternatively or additionally, in the sweet taste composition of the third embodiment of the invention hesperetin is preferably present in an amount ranging from 1mg/L to 750mg/L, more preferably from 10mg/L to 500mg/L, and in particular from 25mg/L to 250 mg/L.

In the sweetening compositions according to the first, second and third embodiments of this invention, the at least one stevia compound is preferably a mixture comprising, in particular consisting of: rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D, wherein rebaudioside a is present in an amount ranging from 80.0 wt% to 99.0 wt%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt% to 1.5 wt%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 0.9 wt% to 18.5 wt%, based on the total weight of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D.

Furthermore, in the sweetening compositions according to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention, the at least one stevia compound is preferably a mixture comprising, in particular consisting of: rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D, wherein rebaudioside a is present in an amount ranging from 85.0 wt% to 95.0 wt%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt% to 1.2 wt%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 4.8 wt% to 13.8 wt%, based on the total weight of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D.

Further, in the sweetening compositions according to the first, second and third embodiments of this invention, rebaudioside a is present in an amount ranging from 86.0 wt% to 94.3 wt%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.3 wt% to 0.9 wt%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 5.4 wt% to 13.1 wt%, in each case based on the total weight of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D.

In a particularly preferred form (version) of the sweetening composition according to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention, rebaudioside a is present in an amount ranging from 90.5 wt% to 94.0 wt%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt% to 1.0 wt%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 5.8 wt% to 8.5 wt%, based on the total weight of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, or

In each case, rebaudioside a is present in an amount ranging from 90.9 wt% to 94.4 wt%, rebaudioside B is present in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt% to 0.5 wt%, and rebaudioside D is present in an amount ranging from 5.4 wt% to 8.6 wt%, based on the total weight of rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside D.

Steviol Glycosides, such as rebaudioside a, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside F, stevioside, dulcoside, rubusoside and steviolbioside, can be detected and measured according to HPLC-UV as specified in "JECFA (2010) Steviol glycoside FAO JECFA special review 10, FAO, roman (JECFA (2010) stevia Glycosides, FAO JECFA Monograph 10, FAO, Rome)".

The problem to be solved by the present invention is also solved by a sweetening composition, also referred to as fourth embodiment of the sweetening composition of the present invention, comprising a)0.1 to 50g/L of natural sweet carbohydrates, in particular selected from the group consisting of natural sweet monosaccharides, b)40 to 120g/L of natural sweet carbohydrates different from a), in particular selected from the group consisting of natural sweet disaccharides, and c)30 to 300mg/L of rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or 0.01 to 20mg/L, preferably in the range from 0.1 to 15mg/L, and more preferably in the range from 1.0 to 10mg/L of neohesperidin, or 0.01 to 10mg/L, respectively, Preferably from 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, and more preferably from 0.1mg/L to 2mg/L, or phloretin in a range from 1mg/L to 250mg/L, preferably from 5mg/L to 200mg/L, and more preferably from 10mg/L to 150mg/L, or trilobatin in a range from 0.1mg/L to 250mg/L, preferably from 1mg/L to 200mg/L, and more preferably from 5mg/L to 150mg/L, or trilobatin in a range from 0.01mg/L to 20mg/L, preferably from 0.1mg/L to 10mg/L, and more preferably from 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, or monatin in a range from 1mg/L to 750mg/L, preferably from 10mg/L to 500mg/L, And more preferably in the range of from 25mg/L to 250mg/L, or at least one enzyme treated steviol glycoside, or any mixture thereof, in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or at least one enzyme treated steviol glycoside.

Among the compounds of component c) of the fourth embodiment of the sweetening composition of the invention, rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative is preferred, particularly preferably rubusoside.

The forms of the fourth embodiment of the invention which comprise a)0.5 to 30g/L of natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of natural sweet-tasting monosaccharides, b)70 to 110g/L of natural sweet-tasting carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of natural sweet-tasting disaccharides, and c)40 to 220mg/L of rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative or 0.1 to 15mg/L and preferably 1.0 to 10mg/L of neohesperidin or 0.05 to 5mg/L and preferably 0.1 to 2mg/L of thaumatin or 5 to 200mg/L and preferably 10 to 150mg/L of phloretin, or trilobatin from 1mg/L to 200mg/L, and preferably from 5mg/L to 150mg/L, or monatin from 0.1mg/L to 10mg/L, and preferably from 0.05mg/L to 5mg/L, or hesperetin from 10mg/L to 500mg/L, and preferably from 25mg/L to 250 mg/L.

In the sweetening compositions of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the at least one natural sweet carbohydrate is preferably selected from the group consisting of natural sweet monosaccharides, natural sweet disaccharides, sweet sugar alcohols and mixtures thereof. The sweet natural monosaccharide is preferably selected from the group consisting of fructose, glucose, mannose (mannose), rhamnose, xylose, tagatose (tagatose), galactose and a mixture thereof, and the sweet natural disaccharide is preferably selected from the group consisting of sucrose, lactose, maltose and a mixture thereof. Furthermore, the sweet sugar alcohol is preferably selected from the group consisting of erythritol, glycerol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, galactitol and mixtures thereof.

For the sweetening compositions of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the use of sucrose as the sweet natural disaccharide is particularly preferred.

The sweetening composition of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention may further comprise at least one flavoring ingredient selected from the group consisting of galangal (galangal), cocoa, cinnamon, lemon juice concentrate (lemon juocentricate), coca leaf (coca leaf), orange (orange), orange oil (orange oil), mentha piperita (corn mint), pine (pine), cardamom (cardamom), nutmeg skin (mass), clove (cloves), lime (lime), lime oil (lime oil), nutmeg (nutmeg), nutmeg oil (nutmeg oil), mustard seed (mustard seed), caramel (carame), rosemary (rosemary), pepper (pepper), honey, ginger, vanilla (vanilla), licorice extract, cola extract, colza oil (colza oil), and mixtures thereof.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sweetening composition of the first to fourth embodiments of the invention further comprises taurine and/or caffeine. Thus, the sweetening compositions of the first to fourth embodiments of the invention may be used in sweetened beverages, particularly soft drinks or energy drinks.

It is noteworthy that the sweetening composition of the present invention is also suitable for preparing a precursor composition in the form of a syrup, which can be easily stored and transported and can be used as desired for preparing, in particular, carbonated beverages.

The problem addressed by the present invention is also solved by a beverage comprising a sweetening composition according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention. Here, the sweetening composition according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments of the invention may itself already represent an aqueous composition, in particular a beverage. Alternatively, the sweetening composition according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments of the invention, without the addition of water, may also represent a dry mixture, in particular in powder and/or granular form. However, even though the sweetening composition according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments of this invention represents an aqueous composition, other ingredients such as flavouring agents or thickening agents may be added to form, for example, a commercially available beverage.

A suitable beverage according to a preferred embodiment is characterized in that the concentration of the combination of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D in the beverage is in the range from 0.01g/L to 1.0g/L, preferably in the range from 0.05g/L to 0.75g/L, and more preferably in the range from 0.1g/L to 0.6g/L (measured at ambient temperature and 1 bar).

Furthermore, preferred is a beverage according to the invention wherein the combination of sweet natural carbohydrate and sweet sugar alcohol is present in the beverage in a concentration range of not more than 40g/L, preferably from 5g/L to 35g/L, and more preferably from 10g/L to 25g/L (measured at ambient temperature and 1 bar). Ambient temperature in the sense of the present invention means room temperature, i.e. a temperature in the range of 20 ℃ to 25 ℃.

Beverages of the present invention include soft drinks and energy drinks, particularly carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks. Suitable soft drinks also include cola flavored soft drinks, where cola flavored soft drinks also include cola flavored type soft drinks. These beverages, when sweetened with the sweetening composition according to the present invention, do not or substantially not exhibit a slow onset of sweet taste (slowonset), but provide a reasonably harmonious sweetness profile and no or substantially no bitter or licorice-like aftertaste.

Another benefit of the sweetening compositions of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention is that beverages containing very small amounts of natural sugars, if any, such as sweet carbohydrates and/or sweet sugar alcohols, can be obtained.

The sweetening compositions of the first through fourth embodiments of the invention, for example when used with energy drinks, may also comprise other ingredients such as sodium citrate, glucuronolactone, inositol, at least one vitamin, e.g., niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, riboflavin, caustic caramel, caustic sulfite caramel, ammonia caramel (ammonium carmellose), ammonium sulfite carmellose (sodium carmellose), or ascorbic acid or mixtures thereof.

The sweetening composition of the present invention can be used in a sweetened beverage, particularly a soft drink or an energy drink. The benefits of using the sweetening compositions of the present invention may also be achieved, inter alia, with carbonated beverages.

The problem of the invention is also solved by a method comprising the steps of: a) providing a sweetening composition according to the first to fourth embodiments of the invention, b) providing water, and c) mixing the components provided in a) and b). The method of the invention particularly further comprises a step of carbonating the beverage (step d)).

According to another embodiment, the method of the invention may further comprise the step of adding at least one thickener, at least one sweet natural carbohydrate, at least one sweet sugar alcohol, at least one organic acid and/or at least one flavoring ingredient to the sweet composition of the first to fourth embodiments of the invention or to a mixture comprising water and one of said sweet compositions of the invention. The above components may also be added to the water before mixing with one of the sweetening compositions of the present invention. Here, the definitions provided above with respect to the thickeners, sweet natural carbohydrates, sweet sugar alcohols, organic acids and flavouring ingredients are also applicable in respect of the general information and preferred embodiments.

Furthermore, before/after the carbonation step, preferably before the carbonation step, a sweet natural carbohydrate and/or at least one sweet sugar alcohol may also be added to the mixture comprising water and one of the first to fourth embodiments of the sweet taste composition of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the first to fourth embodiments of the sweetening composition of the present invention and the beverage of the present invention, e.g., a soft drink or an energy drink, may further comprise common additives such as amino acids, colorants, fillers, modified starches, texturizers, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents or any mixtures thereof.

By the present invention it has surprisingly been found that a sweet taste composition can be obtained which does not show a slow onset in the perception of sweet taste. As a further effect, a sweet taste composition can also be obtained which does not have a bitter aftertaste and/or also no metallic aftertaste. Furthermore, it has surprisingly been found that with the sweetening composition of the present invention, an aroma or sweetness profile can be achieved that is similar to the profile of beverages that have been sweetened with natural sugar, even carbonated beverages. Furthermore, it has been surprisingly found that the use of at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or tannin derivatives, present in the compositions of the present invention can shorten the long-lasting sweet taste perception of artificial sweeteners, such as stevia compounds, by providing a natural or substantially natural sweet taste perception, i.e., the sweet taste profile conventionally brought about by known high calorie sugars.

Thus, the sweetening compositions of the present invention can produce beverages, particularly carbonated beverages, such as soft drinks and energy drinks, that, while having a significantly reduced calorie content, exhibit improved sweetness and aroma characteristics, and in preferred embodiments, do not have a beverage taste that is significantly different from the taste of conventional beverages sweetened with natural sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. This also includes the perception of sweetness by the consumer from the outset. Furthermore, with the sweetening composition of the present invention, beverages without a bland or hard taste or mouthfeel can be obtained.

Artificial sweeteners in the sense of the present invention shall comprise all sweeteners different from natural sweeteners such as natural mono-and disaccharide sweeteners, e.g. glucose and sucrose.

Beverages of the present invention include soft drinks and energy drinks, particularly carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks. Suitable soft drinks also include cola flavored soft drinks, where cola flavored soft drinks also include cola flavored type soft drinks. Furthermore, these beverages, when sweetened with the sweetening compositions according to the present invention, do not or substantially do not exhibit a slow onset of sweetness perception, but provide a reasonably harmonized sweetness profile and no or substantially no bitter or licorice-like aftertaste.

That is, with the present invention, in particular in combination with rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative and/or neohesperidin and/or thaumatin and/or phloretin and/or trilobatin and/or monatin and/or hesperetin and/or at least one enzymatically treated steviol glycoside, in particular rubusoside and/or at least one rubusoside derivative, and at least one tannin, in particular tannic acid and/or a tannin derivative, a beverage can be obtained which, although already sweetened or co-sweetened with an artificial sweetener such as a stevia compound, exhibits a temporal sweetness profile with respect to time of onset, duration (duration), i.e. linger, and, if desired, a sweetness intensity comparable to that of sucrose. The invention therefore not only allows to convert for example a slow attack of a stevia compound to an attack like sucrose, i.e. thereby showing a faster attack, but also contributes to a significant reduction of the sustained effect.

While modifications and variations may be suggested to one skilled in the art, it is the intention of the applicants to embody within the patent retained thereby all changes and modifications as reasonably and possibly fall within the scope of the contribution to the art. The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The features disclosed in the description and in the claims may be essential for the implementation of the invention in different embodiments, individually or in each combination.