Effect of Salt Content Reduction on Food Processing Technology

Abstract

Higher salt intake is associated with the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases, hypertension and gastric cancer. Salt intake reduction represents an effective way to improve people's health, either by the right choice of food or by a reduction of added salt. Salt substitutes are often used and also herb homogenates are treated by high pressure technology. Salt reduction significantly influences the shelf life, texture, pH, taste, and aroma of cheese. The composition of emulsifying salts or starter cultures must be modified to enact changes in microbial diversity, protease activity and the ripening process. The texture becomes softer and aroma atypical. In bakery products, a salt reduction of only 20–30% is acceptable. Water absorption, dough development, length and intensity of kneading and stability of dough are changed. Gluten development and its viscoelastic properties are affected. The salt reduction promotes yeast growth and CO2 production. Specific volume and crust colour intensity decreased, and the crumb porosity changed. In meat products, salt provides flavour, texture, and shelf life, and water activity increases. In this case, myofibrillar proteins’ solubility, water binding activity and colour intensity changes were found. The composition of curing nitrite salt mixtures and starter cultures must be modified.

Flavoring of sea salt with Mediterranean aromatic plants affects salty taste perception

“…The lower scores in taste familiarity (indicating a less common taste) measured with saline solutions obtained with flavored salts also confirmed the modulation of salty perception induced by flavoring. Flavoring using blends of herbs and spices has been proved as strategy to reduce the salt content in food products 5,16,17,23,44 . Herbs and spices have been demonstrated to enhance liking of low‐salt tomato soup, 17 low‐salt legume‐based dishes, 17 and chicken pasta meal 23 .…”

Salt content in spice mixtures of selected producer on the Polish mark

“…However, one should be aware that lowering the sodium chloride content too much in processed meat, cheese and bakery products may affect the composition of the microbiota and the palatability of the preserves. The research results also indicate that the problem concerns not only the reduction of salt content in food products, but that the consumption of certain products, such as red meat and its products, should likewise be reduced (Feng et al, 2021;Halagarda and Wójciak, 2022;Rysová and Šmídová, 2021).…”

The Effect of Processing Methods on Food Quality and Human Health: Latest Advances and Prospects

“…These additives are known to be prejudicial to human health, and are associated with a variety of health problems. This collection includes four reviews and six original research articles [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The review on high-pressure processing (HPP) technology is focused on fruit and vegetable products [ 1 ].…”

“…Another article showed the effect of the cultivation type and cooking method on the nutritional quality of Brazilian vegetables [ 7 ]. A review about strategies to reduce the salt content of a variety of foods, so that they become healthier, is also included in this collection [ 8 ]. The potential use of non-thermal technologies to preserve food and reduce sodium in foods is discussed.…”