Salt in food processing; usage and reduction: a review

Abstract

Salt is one of the most widely used additives in food industries because of its low cost and varied properties. It has a preservative and antimicrobial effect as a direct consequence of the capacity of sodium chloride to reduce water activity values. In addition, sodium chloride is a flavour enhancer as a consequence of its effect on different biochemical mechanisms. It also has flavour enhancing effects from reducing or enhancing the enzymatic activity of some enzymes responsible for the development of different organoleptic parameters. Trends in sodium chloride use in food industries point to salt replacement or reduction by means of the use of sodium chloride substitutes such as KCl or phosphates; flavour enhancers and the optimisation of the physical form of salt. This trend has arisen as a result of the greater awareness of the negative effects of excess dietary intake of sodium, which has been linked to hypertension and consequently an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The average total daily sodium intake per individual in developed countries is 4-5 g of Na, which is up to 25 times greater than the minimum adult requirement. KeywordsProtein behaviour, salt effect, salt in foods, salting, water-holding capacity.

Optimization of Processing Conditions of Traditional Cured Tuna Loins–Muxama

“…In addition, the higher solid gain at/near the surface and consequent formation of a solute layer was probably the cause of decreased water loss in interior portions, due to a reduction of diffusion [24]. On the other hand, the results might also reflect the fact that frozen-thawed tuna was used herein, since the resultant flesh characteristics and cell structure affect salt diffusion [16,24].…”

“…In addition, the drying method has secondary effects on characteristics of flavor, color, and the nutritional value of the products [14,15]. A number of authors have studied and/or reviewed the salting and drying process of fish and other seafood and its effects on various quality parameters of the final products, e.g., [13,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. In what concerns muxama, Barat and Grau [10] observed a clear shortening of the processing time required to obtain muxama with the simultaneous brine thawing and salting of frozen tuna loins.…”

The Effect of Active and Vacuum Packaging on the Quality of Turkish Traditional Salted Dried Fish “Çi̇roz”

“…The preservative effect of salting and drying is mainly due to the decrease in water activity. Thus, the growth of many spoilage organisms is prevented (Schormüller, 1968;Sikorski et al, 1990;Tülsner, 1996;Albarracín et al, 2011). Salted cod is a traditional fish product of choice in the northern Atlantic region, whereas salted sardine salted anchovy are traditional fish products preferred in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.…”

Sodium reduction in margarine using NaCl substitutes

“…However, due to the high sodium content, NaCl has also been associated with an increased risk of hypertension, development of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and kidney stone incidence (Weinsier 1976, Heaney 2006, OMS 2007 and thus the need for low-sodium product development increases (Albarracín et al 2011).…”