How much can sodium chloride be substituted for potassium chloride without affecting the sensory acceptance of cracker-type biscuits?

Enhancing the perception of saltiness and reducing NaCl levels in snacks through sensory interaction: Immobilizing NaCl nanocrystals in Litsea oleoresin-sunflower seed oleogels

Excessive dietary salt intake leads to health issues, while reducing NaCl content compromises flavor. Therefore, identifying methods to decrease salt levels without sacrificing flavor is crucial. This study investigated the sensory interaction between the saltiness of NaCl and the pungency of Litsea oleoresin. Glyceryl monostearate (6.6%) and soy lecithin (4.4%) were used as gelling agents to create oleogels, which were then employed to immobilize NaCl nanocrystals, optimizing sensory interactions. NaCl nanocrystals (427.73 ± 61.98 nm) were encapsulated in a Litsea oleoresin-sunflower seed oleogel system with uniform distribution. Sensory evaluation indicated that the NaCl nanocrystal/Litsea oleoresin@oleogel system, with moderate pungency, significantly enhanced perceived saltiness intensity (29.00 ± 1.14, compared to the control, 18.48 ± 1.12) (P < 0.05). When applied to potato chips, this system noticeably increased saltiness perception. This research provides a promising approach for developing low-sodium yet flavorful foods.

Formulation of novel low-sodium salts using potassium salts and dietary polysaccharide

Potassium citrate (KC) and potassium lactate (KL) are considered as salt replacers due to their saltiness, processing advantages, and health benefits. However, the obvious bitter taste associated with these compounds has limited their use in salt substitutes. Despite this challenge, little attention has been paid to improving their sensory properties. This study provided evidence that dietary polysaccharide carrageenan can effectively mask the bitterness of KC and KL by specifically binding K+ and forming double helix chains. A highly accurate prediction model was then established for the saltiness and bitterness of low-sodium salts using mixture design principles. Three low-sodium salt formulas containing different potassium salts (KC, KL, KCl), NaCl, and carrageenan were created based on the prediction model. These formulas exhibited favorable saltiness potencies (>0.85) without any noticeable odor, preserving the sensory characteristics of high-sodium food products like seasoning powder while significantly reducing their sodium content. This research provides a promising approach for the food industry to formulate alternative low-sodium products with substantially reduced sodium content, potentially contributing to decreased salt intake.

Perspective: Key Considerations When Developing and Publishing Dietary Interventions for Human Clinical Trials

A key guiding principle in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the need for individuals to choose eating habits that allows for personal, cultural, and traditional preferences while establishing a high-quality diet. This concept becomes a daunting task given the need to reduce the consumption of foods higher in saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugar-which are typically found in familiar, highly palatable foods most-often liked and consumed in the United States. Similarly, in nutrition intervention studies, adherence to healthier dietary patterns is typically low because of many factors, including reduced taste, flavor, and familiarity to the study foods. Increasing evidence illustrates the promising role of herbs and spices to maintain acceptability of healthier food options for nutrition interventions. This perspective article was informed by a Satellite Session presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting, Nutrition 2023, entitled, "Developing Culturally Appropriate Recipes for Human Clinical Trials," which explored several proposed best practice guidelines when developing nutrition interventions to improve dietary adherence and acceptability within clinical trials. The session also highlighted a need to include sufficient detail concerning the types and amounts of specific foods included within nutrition interventions in combination with preparation methods and study recipes, including herbs and spices, to improve intervention reproducibility and translatability for future research, dietary guidelines, and clinical practice.

A review of the world's salt reduction policies and strategies - preparing for the upcoming year 2025

Excessive consumption of dietary sodium is a significant contributor to non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. There is now a global consensus that regulating salt intake is among the most cost-effective measures for enhancing public health. More than half of the countries worldwide have implemented multiple strategies to decrease salt consumption. Nevertheless, a report on sodium intake reduction published by the World Health Organization revealed that the world is off-track to meet its targeted reduction of 30% by 2025. The global situation regarding salt reduction remains concerning. This review will center on domestic and international salt reduction policies, as well as diverse strategies, given the detrimental effects of excessive dietary salt intake and the existing global salt intake scenario. Besides, we used visualization software to analyze the literature related to salt reduction research in the last five years to explore the research hotspots in this field. Our objective is to enhance public awareness regarding the imperative of reducing salt intake and promoting the active implementation of diverse salt reduction policies.

Recommendations for validating hierarchical clustering in consumer sensory projects

Choosing the proper hierarchical clustering algorithm and number of clusters is always a key question in consumer sensory projects. In many cases, researchers do not publish any reason why it was chosen a given distance measure and linkage rule along with cluster numbers. The reason behind this could be that different cluster validation and comparison techniques give contradictory results in most cases. A complex evaluation to define the proper clustering might be time-consuming and tedious. The paper introduces the clustering of three sensory data sets using different distance metrics and linkage rules for different numbers of clusters. The results of the validation methods deviate, suggesting that clustering depends heavily on the data set in question. Although Euclidean distance, Ward's method seems a safe choice, testing, and validation of different clustering combinations is strongly suggested.

A qualitative look at perception and experience of sodium reduction strategies in the food industry through focus groups and individual interviews

The high incidence of sodium overconsumption in the general population has led sodium reduction in commercial food products to become a topic of importance in the food industry. In order to bridge the gap between sodium reduction understanding in the food industry and academia, focus groups and individual interviews of food industry professionals were conducted. Sodium reduction and influence from external entities such as federal regulations and consumer insight were prominent in the nutritional concerns of food industry professionals. A large variety of sodium reduction strategies were introduced with discussion on the many factors that contribute to their potential for success. Flavor modification methods were most prevalent in the discussion, with particular focus on potassium chloride and incorporating umami taste. Factors that frequently positively contributed to a strategy's success include maintaining functionality and/or important sensory attributes, inexpensive to implement, and being perceived as clean label. Conversely, factors that negatively affect success include adversely impacting flavor, being considered not clean label, and high costs of implementation. Foods important for future sodium reduction varied widely, although those were largely products with high sodium density. Future efforts toward reducing sodium overconsumption and sodium content in the food supply fell into three categories: consumer-focused, industry-focused, and research-focused. Of particular importance for future efforts included greater regulatory pressure and more consumer nutritional education. Findings suggest that future efforts to reduce the incidence of sodium overconsumption should be carried out through multiple avenues rather than focusing on the agency of consumers, the food industry, or research alone.