Gummies are not just candy...
Gummies have soared in popularity as a vehicle for ingesting functional ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, and cannabinoids like THC/CBD. Their rise can be attributed to several factors:
- Palatability: Gummies offer a pleasant alternative to pills or capsules, which can be difficult to swallow for some people.
- Convenience: They are easy to take without water and can be consumed on the go.
- Variety: They come in a range of flavours, shapes, and colors, which makes taking supplements more enjoyable.
- Dosage Control: Each gummy can contain a precise dose of the active ingredient.
- Appeal Across Ages: Gummies are not just for children; they have universal appeal, making them suitable for adults as well.
Despite their popularity, there are challenges involved, particularly when it comes to masking the taste of functional ingredients:
- Inherent Flavours: Many vitamins, minerals, and cannabinoids have strong, distinctive tastes that can be unpleasant.
- Aftertaste: Some ingredients have a lingering aftertaste that can be difficult to mask.
- Ingredient Interaction: Combining multiple functional ingredients can result in complex flavours that are challenging to make palatable.
- Stability: Some ingredients may interact with flavourings or other gummy components, affecting the stability and taste over time.
- Consistency: Ensuring each batch of gummies has a uniform taste, despite the natural variation in the taste of functional ingredients.
- Regulatory Compliance: Flavour additives must comply with dietary supplement regulations, which can limit the options for masking agents.
- Health and Nutrition: Adding sugars or other flavour enhancers to mask bad tastes can conflict with the health-focused nature of the supplements.
- Shelf Life: Preserving the quality of taste and the efficacy of the active ingredients over the shelf life of the product.
Manufacturers are continually exploring innovative solutions to these challenges, such as using natural fruit flavours, developing better encapsulation techniques for active ingredients, and creating new formulations that maintain the integrity of the functional components while still providing a pleasant taste experience.
Factors affecting the taste of gummies containing foul tasting functional ingredients
The sensory properties of unpleasant tasting functional ingredients such as CBD/THC can be influenced by a multitude of factors. These can be used a model to represent other foul tasting ingredients. Here’s a detailed list of these factors and how they can affect the taste:
- Ingredients:
- Functional ingredients such as cannabis extract: The concentration and type of cannabis extract (full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, isolate) can impart a characteristic taste, which can be earthy, bitter, or herbal. The purity of certain functional ingredients
- Sweeteners: Sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners can affect sweetness levels and aftertaste.
- Flavourings: Natural or artificial flavourings are used to mask the taste of cannabis and influence the overall flavour profile—fruit, sour, mint, etc ( more details below).
- Acidulants: Citric acid or other edible acids used for tartness can enhance fruit flavours but may also add a sour note.
- Gelatin or Pectin: These gelling agents can have a mild taste and affect the intensity of other flavours.
- Size and Shape:
- Size: Smaller gummies have a higher surface area to volume ratio, which can intensify the immediate taste experience.
- Shape: Complex shapes may hold onto coatings differently and can affect how quickly the gummy dissolves in the mouth, altering flavour release.
- Texture:
- Firmness: Softer gummies may release flavours more quickly, while firmer ones might result in a slower, more prolonged taste experience.
- Chewiness: More chewy gummies require more mastication, which can extend the duration of the taste experience and intensify flavour due to increased saliva production.
- Coating:
- Sugar Coating: A sugar-coated gummy will taste sweeter initially but might quickly give way to the underlying flavours of the gummy.
- Sour Coating: Typically a combination of sugar and acid, a sour coating can give an immediate sharp, tart taste that can mask or complement the cannabis flavour.
- Powdered Coating: Non-sweet coatings such as starches can mute the initial sweetness and affect the release of flavours.
- Color:
- Even though color does not have a flavour, it can psychologically influence taste perceptions. For instance, red gummies are often associated with berry or cherry flavours, and this expectation can alter the perceived taste.
- Consistency:
- Homogeneity: The even distribution of flavourings and cannabis extract throughout the gummy can ensure consistent taste. Inhomogeneity can lead to variable taste experiences.
- Storage Conditions:
- Temperature and Humidity: Storage conditions can affect texture and flavour intensity. High temperatures can cause gummies to melt and flavours to meld together, while high humidity can lead to a sticky texture and potential flavour loss.
- Temperature and Humidity: Storage conditions can affect texture and flavour intensity. High temperatures can cause gummies to melt and flavours to meld together, while high humidity can lead to a sticky texture and potential flavour loss.
- Age of the Product:
- Over time, the potency of flavourings and the cannabis extract can diminish, leading to a less intense taste. Additionally, the texture can change, becoming either harder or stickier, which can also impact the taste experience.
- Interaction with Other Foods:
- Consuming gummies with other foods or beverages can either complement or clash with their flavour, changing the overall taste profile experienced.
- Manufacturing Process:
- The method of infusing the cannabis extract into the gummies can affect flavour. Infusion techniques vary and can result in different taste experiences.
- pH Level:
- The overall pH level of the gummy can affect flavour perception, with more acidic gummies tasting more sour and lower pH potentially intensifying the perception of sweetness.
Understanding these factors can help manufacturers tailor the taste experience of CBD/THC gummies to meet consumer preferences, ensuring a pleasant taste that effectively masks the earthiness of cannabis while delivering the desired effects.
Mitigating the challenging taste profile of functional ingredients with flavour
To effectively mitigate the challenging taste profile of functional ingredients like CBD or THC in gummies, confectionery artisans and food technologists often collaborate with flavour houses. The objective is to engineer sophisticated and layered flavour systems that can adeptly mask the less desirable taste notes inherent in these compounds. The inherent challenge with functional ingredients is their dynamic flavour impact, which, although initially subdued upon introduction to the palate, gradually intensifies to eventually dominate the sensory experience.
The strategic approach is to architect a gustatory journey that captivates the consumer’s taste receptors with a potent and intricate flavor narrative, diverting attention from any undesirable tastes. A critical component of this strategy is the selection of a primary flavour profile with inherent complexity and congruent taste attributes. Flavours such as cranberry, grapefruit, and certain teas naturally possess a multifaceted bitterness that aligns with the sensory characteristics of cannabinoids, thereby cloaking their presence within a compatible flavour milieu.
Expanding this concept further, enlisting the profile of a robust wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, can be particularly efficacious. A wine’s profile is not merely a tapestry of acidity and bitterness but is also imbued with nuanced tannic notes and the lingering essence of oak aging, which can mirror and thus mask the bitter and herbal undertones of CBD/THC. These vinous notes are adept at occupying the sensory space that might otherwise be commandeered by the less pleasant cannabinoid flavours.
In addition to the congruence in flavour, the practice of ‘over-flavoring’ is deployed. This technique involves intensifying the chosen flavor profile to such a degree that it overshadows the residual taste of the CBD/THC. The critical consideration is whether the persistence of a robust, albeit pleasant, flavor such as lemon is more acceptable than the lingering taste of cannabinoids, with the former typically being preferred by consumers.
Furthermore, the incorporation of multisensory elements can substantially elevate the complexity of the flavour profile. This may involve the introduction of thermal sensations such as a subtle piquancy or a cooling menthol effect, or an amalgamation of both, to create a sensory tapestry that continually evolves in the consumer’s mouth. The interplay of these sensations with the base flavours can create a dynamic taste experience that effectively distracts from any undesirable aftertastes.
By leveraging such a multifaceted approach, it is possible to not only disguise the innate bitterness of cannabinoids but to transform the act of consuming CBD/THC gummies into an indulgent and multisensory taste adventure that consumers may actively seek for both pleasure and functionality.
Taste modulators (bitter blockers):
The use of bitterness blockers in various F&B applications can improve their respective taste profiles. Bitterness can be off-putting to consumers, thus reducing the appeal of these products. Bitterness blockers work by interacting with taste receptors on the tongue, effectively masking the bitter taste.
There are two primary categories of bitterness blockers: natural and artificial. Natural bitterness blockers, such as those derived from mushrooms, are particularly interesting due to their organic origin. However, they come with certain drawbacks. Firstly, they are quite expensive, making them a less viable option for mass-produced products. Secondly, they are specific to certain types of bitterness, which means a range of different blockers may be needed to cover the full spectrum of bitter compounds in CBD/THC products. Additionally, while they mask bitterness, they may inadvertently enhance other off-notes in the flavour profile, potentially leading to an unbalanced taste. This phenomenon can be compared to that of stevia, which can significantly increase sweetness, but also result in residual sensations & amplification of other notes.
On the other hand, artificial bitterness blockers are generally more effective across a broader range of bitter compounds. They are designed to comprehensively mask bitterness, thus providing a more palatable taste experience. However, the major drawback of artificial bitterness blockers is that they do not align with the clean label trend that is increasingly important to health-conscious consumers. Clean label products are those that are free from artificial additives and are perceived as more natural and healthier. Therefore, the use of artificial bitterness blockers might deter a segment of the market that prioritizes natural ingredients.
While bitterness blockers, both natural and artificial, offer effective solutions to the issue of bitterness in CBD/THC gummies, they come with their own sets of challenges. Natural blockers are more aligned with consumer trends towards healthier, more natural products but are limited in effectiveness and can be costly. Artificial blockers, while more effective, compromise the clean label appeal of the products. Therefore, manufacturers must carefully consider their target market and product positioning when choosing the appropriate type of bitterness blocker.
Known bitter blockers
Bitter blockers, also known as taste modulators, are compounds used to suppress or neutralize bitter tastes in foods and pharmaceuticals. Here is a list of some known bitter blockers and information about how they work and their sources:
- Gymnemic Acids: Derived from the leaves of the Gymnema sylvestre plant, gymnemic acids work by interacting with taste receptors on the tongue, thereby blocking the sensation of sweetness and bitterness. They are commonly used in traditional medicine and as a dietary supplement.
- Miraculin: Found in the miracle berry (Synsepalum dulcificum), miraculin is unique because it modifies the perception of sour and bitter tastes into sweetness. This protein works by binding to sweet receptors on the tongue, altering their shape, and making sour or bitter substances taste sweet.
- Homodihydrocapsaicin: A compound found in chili peppers, homodihydrocapsaicin is primarily known for its spiciness but can also modulate bitter tastes. It acts on the pain receptors in the mouth, which can indirectly affect the perception of bitterness.
- Lactisole: Found in coffee beans and also synthesized chemically, lactisole interacts with the sweet receptors on the tongue, thereby inhibiting the perception of sweetness and, to a lesser extent, bitterness.
- Proline-Rich Peptides (PRPs): Found in various sources including certain types of mushrooms, PRPs can block bitter tastes. They work by binding to bitter receptors on the tongue, inhibiting their ability to send bitter taste signals to the brain.
- Modified Starches and Fibers: Certain modified starches and dietary fibers can physically interfere with the interaction between bitter compounds and taste receptors. They work by creating a physical barrier or by encapsulating the bitter compounds, reducing their availability to taste receptors.
- Synthetic Compounds: There are several synthetic compounds designed specifically to block bitter tastes. These are often used in pharmaceuticals to mask the bitterness of active ingredients. Their mechanisms vary, but most work by interacting with and inhibiting the function of bitter taste receptors.
- Zinc Compounds: Certain zinc compounds, such as zinc gluconate, have been reported to have bitterness-suppressing properties. The exact mechanism is not well-understood but is believed to involve interaction with oral taste receptors.
- Customized Flavour Solutions: Flavour houses can formulate customized bitter blocker solutions, but effectiveness will vary. By experience (matching various competitors bitter blocker flavours), many of these solutions are simply a combination of flavour compounds having flavour enhancing properties. Some of them can be partly effective in rounding out bitter notes, but buyer beware.
Each of these bitter blockers works through different mechanisms, affecting how the taste buds on the tongue perceive bitterness. The choice of a particular bitter blocker depends on various factors, including the specific type of bitterness to be masked, the product in which it is to be used, cost considerations, and consumer preferences regarding natural versus synthetic ingredients.
