Overcoming the Technical
Challenges of Reduced Salt
Formulations
Gary Sandberg, Ph.D.
British Columbia Institute of
Technology

Uses of Salt
Preservative
Flavour
Fermentation control
Extractions
Texture

A summary of functions performed by salt in some food products
(Brady, 2002; Hutton, 2002)
Bread To impart flavour
To control yeast growth and fermentation rate
To assist product texture
To reduce spoilage
Breakfast cereals To impart flavour
To assist product texture
Margarine and spreads To impart flavour
To prevent spoilage
To control shallow-frying performance in some products
Sauces and pickles To impart flavour
To assist in preservation
To retain texture of pickled vegetables during storage prior to bottling
To inhibit clouding of vinegar in pickled products

A summary of functions performed by salt in some food products
(Brady, 2002; Hutton, 2002) - continued
Savoury snacks To impart flavour
To assist product texture in some expanded products
To act as a solid carrier of applied seasonings and flavours, enabling their
accurate measurement and improving their flowability
Meat products To impart flavour
To assist in preservation
To increase water-holding capacity in some products, and increase meat binding
in others
Cheese To impart flavour
To help reduce the metabolic activity of the starter-
culture bacteria

Health Implications of Salt
In the UK, Ireland and the USA, over 80 per cent of salt intake comes from processed food, with 20 per cent of salt intake coming from meat and meat products, and about 35 per cent from cereal and cereal products.

Reduce Salt?

Kraft Foods Inc to reduce salt in NA products by 10% over next 2 years
Campbells has already cut sodium in 100 products by 25-50% over past four years.

Solutions to Salt Reduction:
“Leave it out”
Reduce
Replacements
Bitter blockers

“Leave it Out” or Reduce
Do you need it (functional purpose)?
Threshold levels?
Gradual weaning

Replacements:
Group 1 replacers (e.g. LiCl, KCl)
Other Chloride salts (Mg and Ca) – Group 2
MSG and other flavour enhancers
Phosphates (other than sodium)

Group 1 and 2 Elements:

What about other Chloride
Salts?
LiCl - toxic
KCl – 50% or greater - bitterness
- therefore usage 20-50%
CaCl
2
MgCl
2

Solutions May Be Unique to
Specific Product Categories:
Meat products –salt important for extraction of meat proteins
Dairy Products – control of fermentation
Baked goods – control of fermentation and leavening action
Snack Foods – flavour and texture

Salt Uses in Meat Products
Extraction of salt soluble proteins
Flavour
Shelf-life

Meat: Reduction Strategies
Sodium not the most active part of salt.
Chloride ion is much more important (in terms of extraction)
Potential replacers: KCl, MgCl
2
, CaCl
2
Also need to consider hidden sodium (i.e. sodium phosphates) as part of sodium reduction strategy
Encapsulated ammonium salts (chlorides, phosphates, citrates, lactate)

Additional binding agents – hydrocolloids, non-meat proteins
Also use flavour enhancers and masking agents -
MSG, ribotides, nucletides, bitterness masking of KCl
Better functionality of current salt (i.e. flake salt) leading to lower usage?

Uses of Salt in Bakery
Applications
Uses of salt:
1. Development of gluten structures
2. Inhibit baker’s yeast in bread dough
fermentations
3. Control a
W

Bakery: Reduction Strategies
KCl (max 10-20%) due to bitterness
Increase crust to crumb ratio
Flavoured ingredients (wheat bran, wheat germ, etc.)
Review processing parameters (decrease salt, yeast activity increases)
Reduce other sodium salts used

Dairy Uses of Salt
Control of microbial and enzymatic activity
Manipulation of casein micelle (rheology)
Prevent spoilage
Flavour

Dairy: Reduction Strategies
Batch standardization
Increase protein content with ultrafiltered whole milk retentate
(UFMR) added to low sodium cheeses
Flavour enhancers
Processing modifications (heat and temperature)
For butter and margarine – already in place

Snack Food Applications of Salt
Coatings and flavour
Rheological properties

Snack Foods: Reduction
Strategies
No salt
Salt replacers (KCl, ammonium, calcium and magnesium salts, mycosent salt)
Flavours (Italian, savoury flavours, oleoresins, natural flavours)
New flavours (regional and ethnic)
Changes in manufacturing

Salt Replacement Products
PanSalt
Lo Salt
Saxa So-Low
Morton Lite Salt
Prime Favorites: NeutralFres
Givaudan: Natural Flavour System
Quest: ImpaQ
Wixton Fontrome – Manfique Salt Away
- Mimic
Wild Flavours Inc - SaltTrim
Mycoscent
Alberger Salt

Conclusions: Salt Reduction?
Not an impossible task
Need for creative thinking about what the function of salt is in the specific product