Benefits
Regionalized flavor templates + sweetness time-profile engineering to reduce aftertaste/bitterness and boost first-use acceptance.
Flavor & Sweetness Matrix
Flavors: fruit (strawberry/blueberry/lemon/lime/apple/mango/tropical), mint (spearmint/peppermint/eucalyptus), beverage/dessert (cola/vanilla-cream/honey-pomelo/matcha), herbals (ginger-lemon, fresh herbals).
Sweeteners: Ace-K, sucralose, stevia (aspartame where permitted) + polyols (erythritol/xylitol/maltitol/sorbitol) + isomalt for body.
Acidity & Cooling: citric/malic/tartaric + citrate buffer; menthol/WS-3/WS-23 per regulations.
Sensory & Optimization
5–9 panelists, 9-point scale on onset/peak/aftertaste, bitterness grade, persistence; 2–3 iterations; verify stability & pack compatibility (volatility/oxidation).
Reference Ranges
Intense sweeteners total 0.02–0.30%; polyols 1–5%; organic acids 0.05–0.30%; cooling 0.02–0.20%; flavor 0.10–1.00% (in casting dope).
Risks & Mitigations
Bitter/metallic tail: sweetness layering + acid tuning + mint/citrus synergy.
Volatility: high-retention flavors + high-barrier packs (WVTR/OTR); cool winding & moisture targets.
Client Inputs
Target flavor brief, claims (sugar-free/low-sugar/natural/halal/vegan), regional preference & restricted lists.