KANSAS CITY — Finding alternative ingredients for salt when reducing sodium means more than just maintaining taste.

“Salt performs many functional roles in food applications,” said Jordan Timm, R&D director for salt and consumer brands at Cargill, Minneapolis. “Beyond its distinctive salty taste, salt assists with moisture management, flavor enhancement, shelf life and more. In baked goods, it helps regulate yeast activity, strengthens doughs, and contributes to texture and color. In processed meats, it supports protein extraction and influences yield and water-holding capacity. In cheeses, it aids in whey separation and plays a key role in texture and body.”

Products with reduced sodium are appealing to Americans as 49% of consumers in North America said they look to minimize their sodium intake, according to ADM’s Outside Voice research. Research from Kerry, which has a US office in Beloit, Wis., found 85% of consumers said sodium levels influence their purchasing decisions. In the 2024 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council, 50% of respondents said they were trying to limit or avoid sodium.

Texture and shelf life

Various ingredients and ingredient systems may address all aspects of sodium reduction.

“When it comes to sodium reduction, each food application presents its own unique challenges,” Timm said. “Successful strategies take a holistic formulation approach, considering not just flavor but also texture, moisture management and processing needs.”

ADM offers AccelFlex texture systems (TS) that provide essential structure in plant-based applications.

“Notably, our AccelFlex TS P80, a 100% pea protein textured product, is now offered in a reduced sodium version, supporting lower sodium targets while also delivering superior texture and minimizing off-notes inherent to certain plant proteins,” said Shanyn Seiler, product marketing manager, global flavor modulation for Chicago-based ADM. “It is also non-GMO and exempt from mandatory allergen labeling, further aiding developers in meeting clean label targets.”

Seiler said that in ready meals and convenience foods — such as soups, dips, marinades, sauces, dressings and condiments — salt contributes to the taste development, preservation and consistency. The products often require balanced salt levels to maintain taste integrity and shelf life.

“For centuries, salt has been used to preserve foods,” Timm said. “By reducing water activity, salt limits the availability of moisture needed for microbial growth, helping inhibit pathogens and spoilage organisms. The benefits are especially critical in products like processed meats, cheeses and yeast-leavened baked goods.”

Brines and marinades are injected into such products as beef, pork, poultry, fish and plant-based protein products to retain the moisture level and enhance the flavor of the products after cooking or other food preparation is completed, according to Kemin Industries, Des Moines, Iowa. The brines and the marinades often require salt and phosphates to retain the brine within the food products.

This March, however, Kemin Industries received a patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a brine containing proteins that are free of salt and phosphates. The brine is marketed under the Proteus line of functional proteins, which expand the protein structure of muscle meat to expose natural water or protein-binding sights previously inaccessible, allowing meat and poultry products to retain more moisture without using salt and chemical additives, including phosphates.

Kerry’s food protection and preservation systems help maintain food safety and quality when reducing sodium, said Hugo Leclercq, global portfolio director for taste fermentation and sodium reduction at Kerry. Ways to maintain food safety standards include using alternative antimicrobial agents used to optimize water activity and applying precise processing controls.

“Simply removing or significantly decreasing salt levels without implementing other safeguards could compromise the safety and shelf-life of the product,” Leclercq said. “Therefore, it’s crucial to combine reduced sodium with a robust preservation system to ensure both food safety and product integrity remain uncompromised.

“Additionally, some common preservatives, such as sodium lactate and some vinegar-based preservation systems contribute quite a bit of sodium to finished applications. By switching to other preservation systems, such as potassium-based or buffered vinegar solutions can help lower sodium.”

Focusing on taste

Reducing sodium in finished applications may be achieved with flavor modulation technology such as ADM’s TasteSpark salt modulation that rebalances taste losses and supports flavor profiles, Seiler said.

“At the same time, our TasteSpark mouthfeel, masking and umami solutions also improve mouthfeel and texture when lowering sodium content, helping retain delicious, consumer-preferred tastes and sensory experiences,” she said.

MSG may be used to reduce sodium in some applications.

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Leveraging umami, particularly through using monosodium glutamate (MSG), enhances the overall taste profile, which allows for lower sodium content while maintaining flavor, said Haya Anabtawi, senior principal food scientist for Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition North America, Inc., Itasca, Ill. MSG, once consumed, dissolves into the amino acid glutamate and sodium. Glutamate interacts with umami taste receptors on the tongue, boosting savory flavor and therefore reducing the need for added salt.

“Internal studies have shown that using MSG or solutions like our proprietary ‘salt answer’ products can lead to a 20% to 30% reduction in sodium in products like chips, crackers, salad dressing and even sauces,” Anabtawi said. “MSG also helps optimize and enhance the impact of expensive extracts and flavoring ingredients, preserving favorable flavor notes and elevating the overall taste experience.”

Potassium salt, also known as potassium chloride, has been shown to replace sodium chloride within foods. Potential applications include baked foods, meat, sauces, snacks and beverages, according to NuTek Natural Ingredients, Omaha, Neb. While potassium salt’s use may be limited due to bitter, metallic off-flavors at high use rates, NuTek’s proprietary washing and drying process eliminates the need for flavor modulators to reduce bitterness, enabling up to a 50% reduction in sodium, according to the company.

Kerry’s Tastesense salt platform, which uses taste modulation technologies to replicate taste aspects of salt, has been shown to reduce sodium by up to 40% in applications, Leclercq said. Tastesense features a range of ingredients, including botanical extracts, peptides and fermentation-based components.

“These proprietary taste modulators are carefully designed to deliver the savory depth, umami notes, and overall flavor impact that salt typically provides, while minimizing sodium content,” Leclercq said.