FDBusiness.com

Nestlé is establishing a collaboration with a US life sciences company, Chromocell Corporation, to identify compounds with the potential to be used as taste-giving ingredients in a range of foods. The collaborative project will help advance Nestlé’s nutrition, health and wellness agenda by enabling the company to further enhance the nutritional profile of its products.

Chromocell which is based in New Jersey, will use its proprietary ‘Chromovert’ technology to screen libraries of ingredients to detect those that provide similar or equally pleasing tastes to salt.

It is hoped the technique, which enables researchers to screen a wide selection of compounds, will lead to the discovery of new flavours.

These could in future help Nestlé to reduce the amount of salt used in its products while preserving the tastes consumers are used to.

Nestlé is investing $15 million in the research as part of its worldwide commitment to continually improving the nutritional profile of its products while ensuring they remain pleasurable to eat.

Sodium, found in salt, is important for controlling the amount of water in the body, maintaining the normal pH of blood, transmitting nerve signals and helping muscular contraction.

Salt is present in all foods in different amounts, but consuming too much can have adverse effects on health.

The World Health Organization recommends adults consume no more than about one teaspoon of salt per person per day. Globally, many governments and public health bodies have launched initiatives to help people reduce their salt intake.