Nutrionix brings salt replacer R&D in-house

26-Jan-2011 - Last updated on 26-Jan-2011 at 16:57 GMT

Nutrionix has opened its first R&D centre for its salt replacement product Ksalt, which will allow it to work more closely with food manufacturers to develop lower salt formulations.

The R&D centre is in Rennes in the Brittany region of France, a food production hub that has attracted some major food players. According to Bretagne Invest, some 170 food manufacturers have facilities in the region, with 38 centres of excellence – and as in other regions food manufacturers are currently working to reduce salt in packaged and processed foods.

“We strive to improve the nutrional values of a food product by proposing minerals solutions” Jean- Luc Treillou, general manager of Nutionix, told FoodNavigator.com (quotes translated from French). Ksalt is a blend of different minerals that replaces regular salt – sodium chloride. It contains less sodium and a higher level of potassium without affecting the taste and the sensory properties of the salt.

A pinch a Ksalt contains between 20 per cent to 84 per cent less sodium than normal salt, the company says. “The real challenge is to meet the WHO’s intake recommendation of 6mg per day. For us, it is to reduce the sodium content in food by between 50 per cent and 60 per cent by 2012/ 2013” said Treillou.

Origins of Ksalt

Ksalt was originally produced by Nutraceutics DS and launched in 2006. It was acquired by Nutrionix a year later and renamed. At the time, the product was only applied to few food products. Nutrionix quickly developed more formulations to be used for a wider range of products, but in the past it has outsource R&D.

Now, however, demand has grown to such a degree that Nutionix opted to acquire a R&D centre of its own.

The company produces Ksalt blends that are tailored to the specific need of each client. Nutrionix’s clients range from small food companies to multinationals. For example, French retailer Monoprix has worked closely with Nutrionix over the recipe of a ready meal.

“By the end of 2011, 25 formulations of Ksalt will be applied to different food products such as bread, cheese, ready meal, snack, sauce and charcuterie” said Treillou.