Bitter-Masking Sweetener: Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC) E959

During the development of blended sweeteners, natural or synthetic high-intensity sweeteners such as steviol glycosides, mogrosides and sucralose share a common drawback: they deliver noticeable lingering bitterness to varying degrees, making their taste distinct from sucrose. Adding a tiny amount of NHDC can instantly eliminate such bitter notes. The resulting blended sweetener delivers a smooth, full sweetness profile closer to sucrose. This effect holds true even without basic sweeteners like erythritol, tagatose or allulose.If mogrosides help blended sweeteners achieve a sucrose-like flavor, NHDC refines the sweetness into a purer profile. It delivers remarkable performance in formulation.

Basic Physicochemical Parameters:

Name:Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC)
CAS No.: 20702-77-6
Molecular Formula: C28​H36​O15​
Molecular Weight: 612.58
Appearance: White to off-white crystalline powder, odorless, with a licorice-like sweet character
Melting Point: 152~154℃
Sweetness Intensity: 1,500~1,800 times sweeter than sucrose. Slow onset of sweetness and long-lasting aftertaste.Peak sweetness arrives at 57 seconds (sucrose peaks at 24 s, saccharin at 42 s), with prolonged lingering taste.
Solubility: Sparingly soluble in cold water (0.2 g/L at 20℃); highly soluble in hot water (up to 653 g/L at 80℃); insoluble in organic solvents such as ether and benzene.
Thermal & pH Stability: Stable against acid, alkali and heat at pH ≥2. Hardly hydrolyzed under conventional food sterilization and boiling conditions. Aqueous solution turns slightly yellow upon prolonged light exposure, while sweetness remains intact. Slow degradation occurs under strong acid (pH＜2) with extended heating.
Calorific Value: Extremely low, only 8.36 J/g. Almost non-caloric, classified as zero-calorie sweetener.

Source of Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC)
Raw material derived from bitter orange, pomelo and citrus peels (Rutaceae family). Key precursors: neohesperidin and naringin.

Core Functional Characteristics of Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC)
1,Superior Bitterness Masking (Core Advantage)
It blocks bitter taste receptors at very low dosage to mask bitterness from caffeine, alkaloids, medicinal off-notes, astringency, beany odor and pungent irritation. It is widely applied as bitter blocker for pharmaceuticals, herbal beverages and feed, outperforming most sweeteners in bitterness suppression.

2,Sweetness Synergistic Effect
Combined with saccharin, sucralose, erythritol, acesulfame K and maltol: sweetness can be boosted by 30%~100%. Meanwhile, it eliminates metallic aftertaste of saccharin and cooling sensation of sucralose for rounded taste. Blended with ethyl maltol, it amplifies fruity and creamy aroma.

3,Flavor Enhancement, Taste Boost & Off-Flavor Reduction
20 ppm added into soy sauce: removes beany odor, enhances umami and enables salt reduction
In tomato sauce: masks vinegar astringency
Nut beverages: eliminates lingering astringency
Meat products: boosts creamy aroma
Pickles: delivers crisper, cleaner sensory profile

4,Additional Physiological Activity
Exhibits antioxidant properties. In vitro tests indicate it helps inhibit lipase and regulate blood lipids. It supports auxiliary glycemic control and free radical scavenging, suitable for functional food development.

Full-Scope Application Details of Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC)
(1) Food Industry: Beverages, snacks, seasonings, bakery goods, alcoholic drinks
(2) Pharmaceutical Industry (Pharmaceutical Flavor Corrigent):Used for oral tablets, oral liquids, herbal extracts and antibiotic syrups. Cost-effectively masks bitter and medicinal odor without interfering drug efficacy. Its pH stability makes it compatible with formulations of varied pH values. Its antioxidant activity can be utilized in lipid- and glucose-regulating preparations.
(3) Feed AdditiveOnly approved for swine compound feed, maximum limit ≤35 mg/kg. Combined with sodium saccharin to improve feed palatability, mask raw material bitterness, increase piglet feed intake and reduce feed conversion ratio.EU ADI: 5 mg/kg body weight per day.
(4) Fragrance & Cosmetics: Acts as aroma stabilizer in skincare and washing fragrances, delivers antioxidant protection for fragrance and extends scent retention time.

Safety, Regulations & Usage Limits of Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC)
China: Included in GB 2760 Food Additive List (Flavor No. S0269). Permitted for appropriate use on demand in most food categories. For feed, only applicable to swine with maximum dosage 35 mg/kg.
EU EFSA: ADI = 5 mg/(kg bw)/day, authorized for all food categories(E959).
Toxicology: Long-term toxicological studies confirm no teratogenic, carcinogenic or mutagenic effects. Rapidly metabolized by human body; glycoside moiety does not contribute calorie intake. High safety rating.