A range of other food ingredients may lower sodium levels, particularly when it comes to addressing flavor concerns. When considering alternatives, application is important. 

“It’s important to consider how the consumer’s taste receptors will interact with the food item,” said Elizabeth Kreger, innovation and analytical manager, research and development, Sensient Flavors & Extracts. “For example, let’s look at sodium in bread compared to sodium in a salted caramel candy and how those molecules get to your taste buds. With bread, we chew and turn the dough into a ball before swallowing. Perhaps only 10% of the sodium in the food will reach our taste buds. On the contrary, as a caramel candy melts into a sauce in your mouth, there is a lot of interaction with taste buds, so it is easier to detect the salt flavor. Knowing how we expect a product to act in a certain way helps us understand what type of taste modifier or modulator might work best to provide the same flavor sensation overall.”

Yeast extracts have become a label-friendly alternative to added salt in many snacks. They are recognized for their ability to provide umami flavor. Some yeast-based taste enhancers provide an additional dimension of flavor through the contribution of roasted flavor notes.

Yeast extracts are used in a similar way as sodium chloride and are declared on ingredient decks simply as yeast extract. They don’t produce any bitterness or chemical flavor notes.

“NuTek also produces plant-based, natural flavor solutions created through age-old fermentation and cooking techniques,” said Steve Zimmerman, senior director, technical sales at NuTek Natural Ingredients. “Our natural flavor solutions deliver umami taste and help to increase salty flavor perception with 85% less sodium than standard salt.”

Permeate, a co-product of the manufacture of high-protein dairy ingredients, contains a unique concentration of minerals with flavor-potentiating properties. Three varieties are available — whey permeate, milk permeate and delactosed permeate — each possessing different beneficial functions.

Permeate is most widely used in dried form, which requires no special handling from distribution through storage. The dried powder flows readily and is easy to mix in with the other ingredients in the formulation. 

“The biggest drawback for any sodium reduction project is cost,” said Mathias Bohn, senior product and strategy manager flavors, North America, Sensient Flavors & Extract. “Salt is one of the least expensive ingredients that can be used in food products. So, when you are trying to remove or reduce it, a company is usually taking out one of the least expensive elements that also often has a big impact on taste and functionality. This almost always guarantees they will try to replace the sodium with something more costly.”    

Bakers interested in reducing sodium in their products have options that can assist with taste and aid in functionality. And if they can maintain the flavors consumers know and love without them noticing the reduction, it’s a win for all.

This article is an excerpt from the February 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Sodium Reduction, click here.