Does salt reduction mean taste reduction?

Salt is a major contributor to the taste intensities of foods, and large reductions in salt levels can severely affect taste and consumer preference. But does low salt always mean lower taste?

Not according to Marian Geluk, from Wageningen University and Research Centre. She told FoodNavigator.com that our perceptions of salty tastes and intensities can change over time.

Geluk said that the salt taste intensity that we experience is connected to what we are used to. Something that she said can be changed, not just over longer periods, but in relatively short times.

There are several key messages for industry to think about when tackling salt reduction, added Geluk. The first and foremost being that “taste is key for the choice of food products.”

If companies have a need to reduce salt in their foods then Geluk’s message is simple: “They can do this. They need to do this carefully, but it does not mean that their products will be less preferred by consumers.”