FDBusiness.com

AkzoNobel Salt Specialties has partnered with Givaudan to produce a one-to-one salt replacer for up to 40% salt reduction in processed meat.

The ingredient, branded Suprasel OneGrain TS-M100, is a combination of sodium chloride, potassium chloride and flavour in every grain, which the companies say allows it to taste, flow, blend and dissolve in exactly the same way as ordinary salt.

Speaking with FoodNavigator, business development manager for OneGrain Matthijs Bults said that the incorporation of flavour does more than just mask the bitter flavour of potassium chloride.

“The flavour restores the meat taste profile and even delivers succulence in the meat,” he said.

Marketing manager Sander Tierolf added: “The succulence is all thanks to the flavour technology from Givaudan. We are experts when it comes to salt, and they are experts when it comes to taste.”

“If you take sodium out you lose a lot of functionality and you lose on taste,” said Bults. “This is really a nightmare for product developers. …This is a quick solution which reduces time to market.”

After bread, processed meats are the next largest source of sodium in European diets. With many countries striving to reduce sodium intake on a population level, the processed meat industry is one sector of the food industry under pressure to cut salt in their products.

Suitable for both smoked and cooked meats, the ingredient has been developed to meet European requirements for salt reduction, but ingredients for other regions are in the pipeline.

“For example, the larger companies in the United States, they prefer to go with natural ingredients,” Bults said.

The companies say that this is just the first in a range of salt reduction systems to be produced under the partnership.

President of Givaudan’s Flavour Division Mauricio Graber said in a statement: “Working in partnership with a salt company such as AkzoNobel Salt Specialties is a new and innovative approach to reducing sodium levels in the food industry. Through this partnership we have been able to combine Givaudan’s flavour expertise with AkzoNobel’s salt delivery technology to create a product which brings additional performance benefits to processed meat manufacturers.”