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 | | HEALTHIER SLICE
(INTERNATIONAL FOOD INGREDIENTS MAGAZINE: APRIL/ MAY 2008) | | | CMP | | 15/05/2008 | | | Healthier slice
Jo-Ann van Geest, technical application manager at DSM Food Specialties, looks at the role of salt in bread applications and examines solutions to reduce salt without negatively impacting on taste
Consumers are increasingly aware of the potentially damaging effect of too much salt (sodium chloride) in their diet. Although salt is required for normal human body functions, including maintaining fluid balance, European salt consumption levels significantly exceed nutritional requirements. High salt intake encourages water retention, which can cause hypertension – a significant factor in development of heart disease and strokes.
Limiting salt intake can dramatically lower this risk. Studies have demonstrated that reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure. For example, a 3g reduction in daily salt consumption can lead to a reduction in systolic blood pressure of between 2 and 6 mm Hgs. Further research also confirms that even modest reductions in salt consumption lower the risk of cardiovascular-related problems, by between 10-25%
in adults with pre-hypertension.
Global pressure to reduce salt intake
A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) called on multinational food companies to lower the salt content of their products to the lowest level possible in all countries where they market. WHO additionally advised that, if these goals are not achieved, regulatory approaches should be initiated and enforced.
Furthermore, the report included recommendations that countries should commit to reducing average salt consumption to less than 5g per day, except where lower levels have already been set, and that a clear strategy should be devised to achieve this target. In the UK, for example, a public health campaign to reduce salt intake across the whole population has shown some success. Daily salt consumption has fallen from 9.5g to 9g since 2001.
An essential ingredient?
While bread is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet, according to charity Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), it is also one of the highest salt-containing foods. Removing some of the salt from bread is, therefore, a very effective way of reducing daily salt intake.
However, salt performs a functional role in food. With only four basic ingredients involved in the bread making process, salt is a key component to create a good quality loaf. Salt influences dough properties of the bread as well as its taste and texture. Not only can bread become insipid without the addition of salt, it works to condition the dough, making it firmer, less sticky and more resilient. Salt has a direct effect on gluten by strengthening the bonds between various gluten components, thereby allowing the dough to be more elastic. In addition, it improves the crumb structure. Salt acts to control yeast action during the bread-making process. If it is eliminated completely in yeast-raised baked goods, it can cause the dough to rise too quickly, adversely affecting the shape and flavour of the bread.
A taste for salt
Although salt cannot be eliminated completely from bread making due to its functional properties, levels can be reduced. However, this may impact on taste – a key driver in consumer purchase decisions.
One challenge when it comes to reducing salt content is that, after years of consuming very salty food, consumers have become accustomed to its taste and expect a certain flavour from the bread they select. A recent study in New Zealand found that, in taste panels, consumers could not identify any taste differences between standard bread, bread with 10 per cent less salt and bread with 20 per cent less salt. However, any further reductions in salt levels may lead to consumers shying away from low salt breads fearing a negative impact on taste. As a result, manufacturers are seeking new and innovative ingredients to help them achieve their goals without sacrificing taste.
Available alternatives
Reducing the sodium content of existing food products is not easy. There is no simple one-to-one substitution available, and often reformulation of the product is required. It is possible to reduce salt by up to 40 per cent in baked goods by replacing salt with potassium, calcium or magnesium salts with no negative impact on baking performance. These alternatives retain the ionic strength in the mixture and provide some salt perception. But crucially for the consumer, these solutions do compromise overall taste and lead to off-notes.
Further alternatives are available that can help consumers cope with the change in taste caused by salt reduction. One successful strategy is to add flavours, seeds or spices to baked goods to compensate for the loss of salty taste. For example, Tesco sells bread flavoured with Guinness and Allied Bakeries produces wholegrain and cranberry loaves. However, while innovative new styles and flavours of bread are growing in popularity, they are not always to everyone’s taste and fail to deliver an easy to use solution for bread manufacturers looking to reduce salt levels.
The sodium reduction solution
In response, DSM Food Specialties has developed the Maxarite range of taste potentiators, comprising Delite and BSalt, which has numerous applications in
the bakery arena. They can be used to reduce sodium levels, mask off-notes and intensify or balance flavour profiles. Maxarite can, therefore, aid in the development of healthier baked products that retain excellent taste.
BSalt has been specifically formulated for bread and other bakery applications. It can be used to reduce sodium content in bread by 30 per cent without any impact on taste or dough handling. Maxarite BSalt can also be used to further reduce salt levels by up to 50 per cent while maintaining good salt perception and dough handling. By activating the salt receptors on the tongue it maintains or improves the salty taste in bread and provides a longer lasting, more rounded flavour.
Studies carried out by DSM Food Specialties have shown that BSalt provides a simple solution for manufacturers looking to reduce salt levels without sacrificing taste in baked goods. This enables the baking industry to respond to targets set by regulatory initiatives for sodium levels in food in 2010. Figure one illustrates BSalt’s impact in bread, highlighting the significant salt boost it can offer even at low dosages.
With bread firmly under the salt spotlight, manufacturers are seeking new and innovative ways to decrease sodium levels without compromising on taste. DSM Food Specialties’ Maxarite range of taste potentiators offers an effective solution in a wide range of applications. Maxarite BSalt can reduce sodium in bread by up to 50% and is an effective way of reducing the daily salt intake. Simple and easy to use, manufacturers are now able to meet consumer demand for both health and taste.
www.maxarite.com
www.dsm-foodspecialties.com | |
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