For decades oral hygienists, dentists and parents have negotiated with their children to brush their teeth or take their medicine. They've pleaded, "It doesn't taste that bad," or used themselves as the example -- but most parents agree, the strong bitter flavors that children perceive in some oral rinses and medicines are tough to swallow.
Linguagen Corp., a New Jersey based taste biotechnology company, is attempting to ease this parenting obstacle with new technology that blocks the bitter taste often found in oral products. Many ingredients in oral pediatric medicines and health products carry a strong bitter flavor. In an attempt to mask this taste and appeal to children, pharmaceutical companies add acidic amino acids, lipids, and artificial sweeteners. The problem is that in most cases these additives do not effectively mask the bitter taste and companies add in extra sugar for flavor � which most children don't need.
By researching and discovering which taste messengers on the tongue actually deliver that bitter message to the brain, Linguagen scientists developed a way for companies to literally block that receptor, so the brain will never receive a message that the medication has a bitter flavor.
This technology will help create effective over-the-counter and in office oral rinses, medications and other products free from bitter taste and not syrupy sweet, and a healthier product because of the lack of artificial sweeteners and extra sugar that are currently added.
For more information on this taste technology or to speak with a Linguagen representative, contact Rosalind D'Eugenio at [email protected] or at
(203) 325-8772 x13.
