Optimization of Low Sodium Salts Mix for Shoestring Potatoes

Application of Umami Tastants for Sodium Reduction in Food: An Evidence Analysis Center Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Sodium chloride intake far exceeds the guidelines from health and regulatory agencies. Acknowledging the positive relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure, interest in substances that assist in sodium reduction, while contributing a savory taste such as umami, are highly investigated.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review was to identify and characterize studies investigating umami tastants on sodium reduction in food, with the goal of informing future research.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EBSCO PsycInfo, PROSPERO, National Institutes of Health RePORTER, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and completed in March 2022 to identify peer-reviewed publications among adults (18 years and older) with interventions focusing on umami tastants to reduce sodium content.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 52 studies, among which monosodium glutamate was the most studied umami tastant or food. Furthermore, most of the research on umami was represented through cross-sectional sensory studies to determine acceptability of foods with part of the original sodium chloride replaced with umami tastants. Only 1 study investigated the use of an umami tastant on overall daily sodium intake.

CONCLUSIONS

To assist individuals in adhering to sodium reduction intake goals set forth by regulatory agencies and their guiding policies, these findings indicated that additional research on umami tastants, including systematic reviews and prospective trials, is warranted. In these prospective studies, both intermediate outcomes (ie, dietary pattern changes, daily dietary intake of sodium, and blood pressure) and hard outcomes (ie, incidence of hypertension or stroke, as well as cardiovascular composite outcomes) should be considered.

Determination of hedonic thresholds by varying three stimuli

The Hedonic Threshold Methodology (HTM), through the determination of compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT), has several applications by the food industry. In order to further increase the field of application of HTM, the objective was to use a mixture design in the Hedonic Threshold Methodology, to enable the determination of hedonic thresholds (CAT and HRT) by varying the intensity of three stimuli simultaneously. It was investigated how much it is possible to replace the NaCl content (1.8% flour weight basis) with two other ingredients (KCL/yeast extract or KCL/enzyme preparation), without compromising the acceptance (CAT) and without resulting in sensory rejection (HRT) of crackers. Reduction in the acceptance started to occur by reducing the NaCl content by around 64% (from 1.81% to 0.651%), with the addition of 1.149% KCl. Two combinations of KCl and yeast extract (1.783% and 0.017%, or 0.693% and 1.107%, respectively) allowed producing a cracker with no NaCl without sensory rejection. The reduction in acceptance also started to occur by reducing the NaCl content by around 40% (from 1.81% to 1.086%), with adding of 0.358% KCl and 0.356% enzyme preparation. A sensory rejection begins to occur by reducing the NaCl content by around 99% (1.81-0.012%), with the addition of 1.215% KCl and 0.573% enzyme preparation (transglutaminase). The use of the mixture design in HTM allowed the unprecedented determination of hedonic thresholds varying three stimuli. This expands the possibilities for applications of sensory thresholds.

Mathematical Model for Predicting the Growth Probability of Staphylococcus aureus in Combinations of NaCl and NaNO2 under Aerobic or Evacuated Storage Conditions

The objective of this study was to describe the growth patterns of Staphylococcus aureus in combinations of NaCl and NaNO₂, using a probabilistic model. A mixture of S. aureus strains (NCCP10826, ATCC13565, ATCC14458, ATCC23235, and ATCC27664) was inoculated into nutrient broth plus NaCl (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 1.75%) and NaNO₂ (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, and 120 ppm). The samples were then incubated at 4, 7, 10, 12 and 15℃ for up to 60 d under aerobic or vacuum conditions. Growth responses [growth (1) or no growth (0)] were then determined every 24 h by turbidity, and analyzed to select significant parameters (p<0.05) by a stepwise selection method, resulting in a probabilistic model. The developed models were then validated with observed growth responses. S. aureus growth was observed only under aerobic storage at 10-15℃. At 10-15℃, NaCl and NaNO₂ did not inhibit S. aureus growth at less than 1.25% NaCl. Concentration dependency was observed for NaCl at more than 1.25%, but not for NaNO₂. The concordance percentage between observed and predicted growth data was approximately 93.86%. This result indicates that S. aureus growth can be inhibited in vacuum packaging and even aerobic storage below 10℃. Furthermore, NaNO₂ does not effectively inhibit S. aureus growth.