Consumers on a quest to live healthier lifestyles and those living with certain health problems are determined to limit salt in their diets. But as anyone who has tried to cut back can tell you, it’s not easy. Americans consume about 3,400 mg of sodium daily, although the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that people consume no more than 2,300 mg a day, and the American Heart Association suggests that 1,500 mg would be an even better target.

This year, the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services are expected to release new Dietary Guidelines, which are updated every five years. The Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee said that decreasing sodium levels, which is expected to reduce chronic disease risk, is unlikely without considerable efforts to decrease sodium in the US food supply.

It’s unclear if the Dietary Guidelines’ recommendations for sodium levels will change, but it’s apparent that Americans should be cutting back. Bakers are working to provide consumers with foods that are not only tasty but healthier. For manufacturers of bread, buns, rolls and tortillas who are interested in reducing sodium in their products, proactive steps can be taken.

“Initiate a gradual reduction strategy,” said Luc Casavant, director, baking applications, Lallemand Baking. “Explore and evaluate salt-replacing alternatives. Use other natural flavor enhancers. This can help maintain the taste of your products. Inform consumers about the benefits of reduced sodium products. Highlight the health advantages.”

The problem with reducing salt in breads and tortillas is that it contributes not just taste but also functionality, providing elasticity, structure, fermentation control and more.

“It regulates yeast activity, strengthens gluten, extends shelf life, controls enzyme activity and even helps create that appealing golden brown crust,” said Winston Samuels, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer, Maxx Performance. “Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, bringing out the taste of other ingredients and balancing the overall flavor profile.”

It also provides other benefits. Salt elevates and rounds out the taste of baked goods, assisting with sensory appeal. 

“A longer shelf life can also be achieved through sodium since it acts as a natural mold inhibitor, reduces water activity and retains moisture, which prevents staling in baked goods from breads to tortillas,” said Amanda Bromfield, technical manager, milling & baking solutions, ADM.

Salt prevents over-fermentation that could compromise bread structure, said Ashley Beech, bakery applications development manager, Corbion.

“This also helps with crust color development because it prevents yeast from consuming all sugars during the fermentation process,” she explained.

Gluten development is critical during processing. While salt slows this process, it also strengthens the protein network, improving dough elasticity and structure, said Janice Johnson, food technical advisor, Cargill.

“This is important for trapping gas during yeast fermentation, leading to a fine, even crumb structure,” she said. “Without salt, doughs can become too sticky, posing challenges for bakery equipment.”

With all the functionality salt brings, removing some or all of it from breads and tortillas is a tall order.

“I would say the biggest challenges in sodium reduction in bread, buns, rolls and tortillas is being able to retain taste and texture and keep the same production processes while simultaneously reducing the sodium levels,” said Andrew Arbuthnott, technical sales manager, Saltwell.

Sodium in baked goods comes from multiple sources, including leavening ingredients like baking soda and sodium-based leavening acids, which affect volume and texture.

“As a result, reducing sodium influences various aspects of the final product, including taste, texture and overall airiness, and could compromise the food safety of the baked product,” said Amr Shaheed, manager, technical services and development, Innophos. “The greatest challenge in reducing sodium is maintaining a product that remains appealing to consumers.”

In chemically leavened products, exchanging leavening acids with nonsodium replacements may result in much different processing and finished goods characteristics, said Rob Berube, technical service manager, performance chemicals, Church & Dwight Co.

“However, replacing sodium bicarbonate with potassium bicarbonate can deliver significant sodium reduction without impacting processing, leavening characteristics or taste,” he added.

Casavant said he found that maintaining flavor when reducing or removing salt is often the most difficult challenge to overcome.

“Consumers are very sensitive to changes in taste, and even a slight reduction in salt can be noticeable,” he said. “Finding a balance between reducing sodium and maintaining a product that consumers enjoy is a complex task that requires careful formulation and testing.”

However, many bakeries have already started to decrease salt voluntarily by 10% to 25% while assuming customer acceptance will follow because of their awareness of the health risks of sodium intake, Casavant said. This is easier to do when the bread is used as the carrier for other tasty ingredients.

“This range is often chosen because it can significantly lower sodium intake without drastically altering the product’s flavor and texture and still be manageable technically during the processing of the dough,” he added.

Taking salt out of foods that consumers eat frequently, even small percentages, may have an impact on the product.

“Every food category has a threshold for sodium reduction,” Johnson said. “Pushing beyond this limit compromises key sensory attributes, making the product less appealing. Additionally, reducing salt may require formula or process adjustments to maintain optimal dough properties, further complicating reformulation efforts.”

Bromfield emphasized taking a holistic formulation approach and using flavor modulation technology to help balance sodium reduction with the ideal sensory experience. She noted that sodium reduction in tortillas is the most challenging.

“Tortillas prove to be the most complicated due to the effect salt reduction has on gluten as well as the impact on the chemical leavening system,” she said. “This challenges production by impacting the shaping of the product and rate of reaction during baking.”

Tortillas contain more sodium than bread and buns, presenting challenges when replacing taste and functionality, said Melanie Weber, senior research and development scientist, Cain Food Industries.

“If bakers are looking for clean label alternatives for salt reduction, enzymes would be the best products for them in combination with flavor aids,” she said. “Clean label and natural flavors can be used to avoid bland products.”

Steve Zimmerman, senior director, technical sales, NuTek Natural Ingredients, said that potassium chloride is ideal to replace salt, or sodium chloride, because the chloride content ensures functional consistency and potassium is a nutrient many consumers need. However, maintaining flavor is difficult as conventional potassium chloride often tastes bitter or metallic.

“From an application perspective, gluten-free products pose the greatest challenge for sodium reduction as they typically include other sodium-containing ingredients that can limit the overall reduction levels,” he said.

This article is an excerpt from the April 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Mary Ann's Baking Co., click here.