LONDON — Tate & Lyle, P.L.C. has launched Soda-Lo salt microspheres globally, the London-based company said Oct. 23. The microspheres have been shown to allow food manufacturers to reduce salt levels by 25% to 50% in various applications without sacrificing taste.

Potential applications currently include baked foods, breading and coatings, and salty snacks. Work continues to test Soda-Lo’s suitability in other applications.

“Salt is a staple in food production, not just because of taste, but function, as well,” said David Lewis, director, health and wellness product management for Tate & Lyle. “It acts as a preservative and texturizing aid, for example. Through advanced technology, Tate & Lyle has produced salt microspheres to give manufacturers an ingredient that functions as well, if not better, than salt.”

To create Soda-Lo, a patent-pending technology turns standard salt crystals into free-flowing crystalline microspheres. The smaller, lower-density crystals deliver salty taste more efficiently by maximizing surface area relative to volume, according to Tate & Lyle. Because Soda-Lo is made from salt, it has no bitter aftertaste or off-flavors, the company added.

Tate & Lyle licensed Soda-Lo from Eminate Ltd., a subsidiary of The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, to commercialize Soda-Lo globally. Under the license agreement, Tate & Lyle will commercialize the Soda-Lo salt reduction technology on a global basis, which includes manufacturing, product development, sales and marketing.

Tate & Lyle will promote Soda-Lo during SupplySide West Nov. 5-9 in Las Vegas and during Hi Europe Nov. 13-15 in Frankfurt, Germany.

“As public health advocates continue to call for a reduction in salt intake worldwide, studies show that consumers associate products labeled as low-salt as having inferior taste,” said Andy Hoffman, director of health and wellness innovation at Tate & Lyle. “Having a salt reduction alternative that’s made from real salt and delivers on that taste expectation could be the first step towards breaking that link in people’s mind that a low-salt product is a bland one.”