The Science of Developing Appealing Flavors to Drive Compliance.

OBJECTIVES: To develop flavors for oral care formulations containing zinc oxide, zinc citrate and L-arginine that are stable for the toothpaste shelf life, mask the unpleasant astringency and metallic off notes of the base, have an appealing taste which pleases global consumers, stimulate regimen compliance, and therefore help deliver whole mouth health benefits to people throughout the world.

METHODS: For stability evaluation, flavor materials were formulated in Dual Zinc plus Arginine base and these samples were subjected to accelerated aging which consists of exposure to a temperature of 49°C for 6 weeks. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC FID) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC MS) to confirm stability or establish changes in the chemical profile - loss of material and generation of degradation compounds. These samples were evaluated organoleptically by a flavor expert for taste acceptability and changes due to instability. Using state-of-the-art flavor expertise, tailor-made flavors were created. Their consumer appeal and acceptance were validated with monadic identified product tests. Their cooling attributes were evaluated by a panel of creative flavorists.

RESULTS: Certain classes of flavor molecules were not stable in the zinc and arginine-containing dentifrice. This significantly limited the choice of flavor materials that could be used to mitigate the undesirable taste of the dentifrice excipients and provide consumer acceptable taste. Through understanding of consumer expectations and needs, creative formulation using stable raw materials, and various novel cooling technologies, we were able to prepare flavors that successfully masked the unpleasant mouth sensation of the zinc and arginine-containing base. These specially designed flavors also provided impactful long-lasting cooling and freshness, thus complementing the toothpaste's therapeutic benefits. Consumer tests validated that these flavors had strong performance and acceptability among users of the original Colgate® Total® triclosan-containing dentifrice.

CONCLUSIONS: Combining in-depth flavor scientific research and formulation creativity, we were able to deliver flavors that are stable and appealing to the global consumer for Colgate's new therapeutic segment.