Public policy to reduce salt intake has clear health benefits, despite claims that intake is physiologically determined and cannot be controlled by policy, says a UK expert.
Efforts to reduce salt in packaged foods involve more than just
salt replacers and flavour enhancers, as suppliers contribute to
overall efforts by tweaking processes to make lower sodium
ingredients.
The use of potassium, magnesium and calcium salts in place of
sodium chloride could lead to breads with 33 per cent less salt
than normal, with changes in texture and mouthfeel, according to
new research from South Africa.
Researchers from India, in collaboration with Kraft Foods, have
proposed a simple, cost-effective method of galactomannan esters
derivatives that are "useful as functional food
ingredients."
International Flavors & Fragrances has completed an internal
program designed for sodium reduction, which provides the firm with
a base of reference for its range of flavor systems for reduced
salt applications.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has added its voice to the
clamor against salt, voting this week to urge the government to
revoke the substance's GRAS status.
The decision by Unilever to slash the salt content of its
ubiquitous Pot Noodle snack underlines the current trend in the UK
- but is this trend based on sound science or just political
pressure?
The leading global soup firm this week announced that it is to
slash salt content in its products by up to 45 percent, a move that
underlines continued industry efforts to attract consumers with a
wider variety of 'healthy'...
The New Jersey based food technology company Prime Favorites, has
started marketing a product to remove the bitter taste of potassium
chloride in foods.
The British Retail Consortium has reacted strongly to the latest
moves by food producers to reduce salt in food, calling for less
rhetoric and more action. The BRC has called on the UK government
to set achievable targets for sodium...
The consumer desire to reduce salt intake, combined with increasing
criticism of the food industry with regards to the generous use of
salt in processed foods, is leading ingredients companies to
develop low salt alternatives.
The Salt Sub-group of Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
(SACN) met in January 2002 to begin a review of COMA's 1994
recommendation that salt intake should not exceed 6 g/day, reports
Reading Scientific Services.
