How F&B is getting creative with salt reduction

For centuries, salt has been regarded as one of the most important and valuable ingredients in food production and preservation.

But the European Commission’s 2007 ‘A Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity’ white paper changed all of that. It led to the creation of regulations to reduce salt in foods and beverages.

Now tied in with broader HFSS (high fat, salt and sugar) regulations, salt reduction has become a major focus for industry, leading to innovation into new technologies to cut salt.

How is industry cutting salt in foods and beverages?

The food and beverage industry is getting creative to cut salt in products.

The first is through gradual reduction.

“Manufacturers are incrementally decreasing salt content of processed, packaged and prepared foods,” Sonia Pombo, registered nutritionist and campaign lead at Action on Salt, tells FoodNavigator.

This approach helps to maintain product sales as consumers are unaware of the changes.

“Taste buds can adapt to small reductions in salt, which is why gradual reductions are key,” says Pombo. “The changes go relatively unnoticed, meaning consumers continue to buy and consume the foods they enjoy.”

In terms of cost, this is also the most economically friendly option.

“This is likely the most cost-effective way for businesses to reduce salt in their products - in many cases, unusual techniques and approaches are not necessary,” says Pombo.

Another common approach to salt reduction is through the use of salt substitutes. Manufacturers are increasingly favouring the replacement of sodium chloride with alternatives, such as potassium chloride. This approach maintains flavour while lowering sodium levels, meaning there is no change in consumer experience.

“Potassium-enriched salts, also called salt substitutes low-sodium salt, are salts where a proportion of sodium chloride is replaced with potassium chloride,” explains Claudia Selin Batz, policy and advocacy advisor at The George Institute for Global Health. “Our research has found that this is a suitable approach for both mitigating the adverse effects of excessive sodium consumption and increasing potassium consumption. They taste very similar to regular salt.”

And new salt substitutes are emerging all the time.

“Other salt substitutes include micro-granules of salt, which covers a wider surface area on the tongue, giving consumers a saltier flavour, for less,” says Action on Salt’s Pombo.

A newer approach, being explored by food and beverage brands, is the use of herbs and spices as a flavour alternative to salt.

“Incorporating natural seasonings and better-quality ingredients, adds depth and complexity, reducing reliance on salt,” says Pombo.

And variation on this concept is the use of products such as soy sauce to replace the salt content. This is something soy sauce brand, Kikkoman, has been advocating.

“Salt content can be reduced by an average of 30%, if soy sauce is used instead of salt,” said a spokesperson for Kikkoman.

The future of salt reduction in food and beverage

While many food and beverage brands have built on efforts to reduce salt levels in their products, health organisations argue an industry-wide approach is needed.

“Although some businesses have made progress in reducing the salt content in their products voluntarily, these efforts are neither widespread nor consistent across the industry,” says Action on Salt’s Pombo. “Introducing mandatory regulations is the only way to ensure a level playing field and foster a more sustainable food environment for future generations.”

But demand for reduced-salt products is not just coming from health organisations, but from consumers too.

“Growing consumer demand for healthier options, driven by health-conscious adults, is pushing manufacturers to innovate,” says Pombo.

And this is helping to drive innovation.

“Advances in taste modulation technologies are expected to offer new ways to reduce sodium without compromising on taste,” says Pombo.