The company said that when NeutralFres, a natural ingredient formulation, is blended with potassium chloride at about 2 percent, it removes the metallic, bitter taste of potassium chloride.
The blended potassium chloride is designed to reduce or eliminate sodium chloride (table salt) in packaged foods such as soups, gravies, sauces, marinades or other convenience items requiring reconstitution.
The blend is also designed as a replacement for salt in canned or bottled prepared foods, and according to the company it can be used in smaller quantities than traditional salt (approximately 80 percent), but the taste is not dissimilar to the real thing.
The use of salt by food manufacturers has met with increased criticism from consumer groups and health organisations attesting that too much salt can raise blood pressure, leading to a greater risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
Last year the UN-backed World Health Organisation (WHO) released, to criticism from the US food industry in particular, a global strategy on diet, physical activity and health that called for a limit in the consumption of saturated and trans fats and salt in the diet.
On the other hand, potassium is important for regulating pH levels in body fluids, blood pressure, muscle and nerve cells, osmotic pressure and water balance. Obtaining adequate amount of potassium is particularly critical for individuals who are dieting or taking diuretics, which is why potassium is commonly used in diet and meal replacement bars and other diet products.