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eye on What follows is a summary of ClearTaste, a novel taste-modulating material derived from the submerged fermentation of a Cordyceps fungus. It overcomes many of the shortcomings of popular synthetic taste-modulat- ing options because it is a USDA- certified organic substance that is produced without chemicals and can address bitterness, sourness, and metallic and other off-flavors. Overcoming bitterness in stevia ClearTaste was discovered in July 2014 in the laboratories of Myco- Technology, which began working in the field of taste modulation by experimenting with solid-state myceliation of coffee and cacao beans, among other materials, in early 2013. Later that year, the company began investigating the possibilities of addressing bitterness in stevia by using the food processing platform developed around coffee and cacao beans. Two problems arose: Stevia is inherently antimicrobial and the mol- ecules in stevia that make it sweet also make it bitter. These molecules are called steviol glycosides, and only seven of them are typically found to any appreciable extent in nature, although more exist. Steviol glycosides are 30 to 320 times sweeter than sucrose but typically have a bitter and/or metallic after- taste, which some people are more Tablets & Capsules September 2017 53 Jim Langan MycoTechnology excipients This edition of the column discusses the genesis and development of ClearTaste, a novel taste-modulating excipient based on the use of solid-state myceliation. Taste modulation has received a lot of attention from the flavor indus- try over the last two to three decades, which isn't surprising con- sidering its inherent connection to the field of consumer preference. Sweetness enhancement has received the most attention, with bitter and off-note taste-blocking efforts close behind. Many of the well-known taste modulators have drawbacks, and some bitter blockers actually activate specific bitter receptors while blocking others. (The human tongue has 25 bitter receptors.) Many of them are also synthetic, and few work in multiple applications or taste environments. A mass of ClearTaste New!