True or False: Taste masking polymers must dissolve in saliva.

Taste masking polymers are typically used to prevent the unpleasant taste of certain active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from being detected by the consumer. The primary function of taste masking is to enhance the overall palatability of the formulation, which is especially important in pediatric and geriatric patients who may have heightened sensitivity to bitter or unpleasant tastes.

When it comes to the requirement of these polymers dissolving in saliva, the correct answer recognizes that it is not a strict requirement for all taste masking polymers to dissolve in saliva. Instead, many of these polymers may function effectively by coating the drug particles or forming a gel matrix that interacts with the taste receptors in the mouth without needing to dissolve completely. This means that as long as they can create a barrier or alter the taste sensation, their solubility in saliva is not a decisive factor for their efficacy in taste masking.

In this context, taste masking polymers are designed to work in a way that they can provide flavor modulation or inhibition without being required to completely dissolve. Therefore, the assertion that taste masking polymers must dissolve in saliva is false.