HEALTH ALERT: Implementing Successful Sodium Reduction

Implementing Successful Sodium Reduction

Rachel Adams

June 10, 2014 - Blogs

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Sodum reduction is no easy feat. In addition to replacing sodium chloride’s functional roles in reduced-sodium formulations, product designers must combat the stigma that low sodium products sacrifice on taste.

Sodium chloride plays many functional roles in foods, including texture improvement, color enhancement and microbial control.

Besides imparting a salty flavor, sodium chloride enhances other flavors in the food. How sodium chloride does this is not fully understood, which makes mimicking sodium’s flavor qualities a tad more challenging.

Researchers are aware of one mechanism responsible for at least some of detection of the salty taste via sodium—the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). Finding a compound to target this salty receptor is more difficult than finding high-potency sweeteners to interact with sweet receptors, largely because the receptor is very specific for sodium and for lithium.

Instead, a possibility is to find an enhancer that can keep the ENaC open longer or make fewer molecules of sodium more effective. This has worked with the amino acid arginine, but its high cost has made it an unlikely option.
However, research has shown consumers are regulating salty taste themselves by sprinkling salt on top of low-sodium food. Assuming the food industry can overcome the functional difficulties in reducing sodium in breads, cheeses and meats, sprinkling the surface with a little salt can boost the flavor.

Yeast ingredients can bolster umami, specifically providing a savory, indulgent taste. Although yeast extract is not sodium free, low usage rates can minimize sodium contribution. And though mushrooms themselves can’t reduce sodium, chemicals and compounds from mushrooms can be extracted to increase perceived saltiness in meat, bakery and in topical applications.

For a closer look at sodium reduction—and the strategies used to enhance perceived saltiness of foods—download the free Digital Issue, “Strategies for Reduced-Sodium Formulations."

HEALTH ALERT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNVEILS ACTION PLAN TO CURB CHILDHOOD OBESITY

EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNVEILS ACTION PLAN TO CURB CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Published March 6, 2014 in Food Product  Design

Posted in News, Regulatory, International, Children, Obesity, Weight Management, Calorie, Calorie Reduction, European Commission, Fats/Oils, Sweeteners, Vitamins / Minerals, Sodium, Salt,Beverages, Bakery / Cereal, Fruits / Vegetables, Dairy, Frozen / Refrigerated Foods, Snack Foods,Grains / Pasta / Tuber, Sauces / Gravies / Soup, Diet, Nutrition, Healthy, Healthy Foods

BRUSSELS—European Union states have agreed an action plan to tackle childhood obesity through 2020. The action plan includes initiatives, such as reformulation of processed foods to contain lower levels of fat, sugar and salt; restricting marketing to children; and “making the healthier choice the easier choice" through taxation and/or subsidies.

In relation to marketing restrictions, it is recommended that limits to marketing should be extended beyond television and should include in-store environments, promotional actions, internet and social media activities. The plan comes as childhood obesity rises in Europe, with 1 in 3 children aged 6 to 9 years being overweight or obese. Member states estimate that 7% of healthcare budgets is spent on treating weight-related health problems.

Sources:

• European Commission: EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 2014-2020a

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NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: LOWER-SODIUM PROCESSED MEAT—IS IT POSSIBLE?

LOWER-SODIUM PROCESSED MEAT—IS IT POSSIBLE?

Published November 27, 2013 in Food Product Design

Posted in Articles, Meat Products, Low Sodium, Sodium

By Donna Berry, Contributing Editor

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, believes that if manufacturers of the top-10 categories of foods responsible for 44% of people’s sodium intake were to reduce the sodium content of these foods by 25%, they could help prevent an estimated 28,000 deaths annually. With CDC having identified cold cuts and cured meats, as well as fresh and processed poultry, as two of the top-10 categories, processed-meat manufacturers are stepping up to the challenge.Most health and nutrition authorities believe the majority of Americans consume too much sodium. This excess, of what is actually an essential mineral to the human body, is associated with raising blood pressure—a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the first and fourth leading causes of death, respectively, in the United States.

This might help the U.S. health outlook, as consumers are reading ingredient labels and making choices based on sodium content. “In researching health-and-wellness trends, we found that about half of consumers surveyed look at sodium levels when it comes to processed meat products," says Peter Gottsacker, president, Wixon, St. Francis, WI.

Wesley Osburn, associate professor, processed meats, Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station TX, says: “Manufacturers of processed meat products are working diligently to develop strategies to reduce the total sodium content due to both consumer demand and pressure from health and regulatory agencies. The problem is that sodium chloride, also known as salt, is one of the most frequently used ingredients in meat processing. It affects flavor, texture (water and fat binding) and shelf life (lowering the water activity) of meat products.

“The challenge for processed-meat manufacturers is to identify innovative ingredient combinations and/or processing technologies that allow for sodium reduction or replacement with minimal or no negative impact on meat product attributes," Osburn adds.

Salt is necessary
By design, processed meats would not be “processed" if salt wasn’t part of the formula. “Salt is one of the basic ingredients, next to the meat itself, and has a wide variety of functional roles," says Nadeen Myers, food technologist, applications research and technical support, ICL Food Specialties, St. Louis, MO.

According to Osburn, the three primary functional properties of raw-meat materials are water-holding capacity, fat emulsification and protein gelation. “And salt plays a critical role in ensuring these functional properties are attained for processed meat manufacturing," he says.

“To increase the water-holding capacity of meat, the space between the myofibrillar proteins must be increased. Salt does this..

“The addition of salt and water solubilizes myofibrillar proteins," Osburn adds. “This process unfolds the protein structure, exposing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites to create a protein film to encapsulate the fat particles to bind fat and added water, also known as emulsification."

And finally, protein gelation occurs when the solubilized myofibrillar proteins undergo a structural change, forming a three-dimensional gel network that immobilizes water. “During the comminution phase (particle-size reduction) for the manufacture of sausage products, water binding is influenced by the addition of salt and the degree of tissue disruption and protein hydration, or swelling," Osburn says.

Ingredient strategies
Salt has proven functionality in processed meat products. And while developers have a range of ingredient solutions to help reduce salt and other sodium-containing ingredients, finding the right mix takes time and effort, according to Matthijs Bults, business development manager, Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals B.V., The Netherlands. He explains that strategies include simply reducing sodium-containing ingredients, replacing sodium with other minerals, using different crystal forms of salt, using aromas associated with salt, enhancing flavors, masking flavors and adding new flavors.

Check out my new e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain"

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle for $4.99 USD. Visit amazon/Kindle to order now:
http://www.amazon.ca/Social-Media-Marketing-Agri-Foods-ebook/dp/B00C42OB3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364756966&sr=1-1

Thanks for taking the time