Client Background:
The client leads the non-alcoholic beverage industry, offering innovative solutions to improve mouthfeel and texture.
Challenges:
- Addressing how alcohol content affects beverage mouthfeel and texture.
- Broadening knowledge of mouthfeel solutions while entering the alcoholic beverage industry.
- Identifying analytical and physical methods to assess texture and mouthfeel.
Engagement Objective:
The objective of the engagement was to conduct an exploratory study to screen potential solutions to improve the mouthfeel and texture of alcoholic beverages. The client was also interested in identifying analytical and physical methods to analyze various aspects of texture and mouthfeel.
Approach:
- Identification of various ingredients related to the domain, e.g., natural ingredients, synthetic ingredients
- Data collection using paid patent sets and scientific literature; various possible ingredients were collected
- Ranking of identified ingredients and technology to screen out promising results.
Solutions Offered:
- An analysis of over 300 documents, including patents and scientific literature, identified more than 170 ingredients studied for their ability to enhance the mouthfeel and texture of food products. These ingredients effectively improve the overall texture and sensory experience of food.
- The identified ingredients were ranked based on parameters including safety, effect, mechanism of action, and stability across pH, temperature, and applicability in alcoholic beverages. The ranking helped screen the most promising results with the potential to improve the mouthfeel of alcoholic beverages.
- The study also helped to screen out analytical and physical methods such as acoustic wave sensors and asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation that can be used in beverages. Augmented reality and virtual reality are also gaining importance for sensory analysis of food.
Client Impact:
The engagement gave the client clear insights into novel and recent advancements in enhancing mouthfeel and highlighted gaps in the R&D process. These insights empowered the client to strategize future projects aligned with market demand.