Salt in foodstuffs
Sodium chloride, or table salt (NaCl), is a universal food. Salt conserves foods by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and to a high degree contributes to the taste profile.
On the other hand, there is some dissent in medical literature on the exact flavoring mechanism of salt. It is clear however, that NaCl has the common, pure salty taste, while other cations (K+, Mg+) disturb the sensory impression e.g. by bitter tastes.
Sensory function
The salty flavor can enhance, as well as inhibit the taste of other components because the single flavors of a food interact intensively with each other.
Salt enhances for example umami, meaning a savory flavor, and limits sweet flavors. Making it to an important ingredient in spicy and in sweet foods. A bitter taste is inhibited by a salty flavor, which can make the reduction of salt in foods to a sensitive venture. Many breakfast cereals contain salt as a flavor enhancer, even though one cannot really taste it.
Technological functions
Salt is a universal ingredient in breads and pastries, which - next to flavoring - influences the growth of yeast, the sticky characters of dough and the consistency of the end product
Salt controls the water content in meats and sausage products and also influences the consistency by the protein structure. It enhances the binding ability of meat, which e.g. is important for making sausages, hamburgers and other ground meat products.
In the hard and soft cheese manufacture, salt influences the ripening and the growth of germs. By the influence of the protein structure, salt in a cheese also has an important influence on its consistency.
In fermented vegetable products, such as sauerkraut and pickles, salt also influences the fermentation process. In addition, it also preserves the crisp consistency of the vegetable by the fast dehydration of the plant material
In many thermal conserved products, salt supports the years of microbial stability. Proverbially, in this context is the term spam: it originated from highly salted meat in cans.
Functional beverages contain defined amounts of salt to control the osmotic characters, as well as sports and isotonic beverages for the refortification of your body.
The flavor decides
For the consumer, the taste profile is crucial for accepting a salt replacement. LomaSalt® products taste familiarly salty regarding the flavor as well as the intensity. A thorough selection of the ingredients inhibits a bitter taste. The single components are commonly approved as foods and food supplements and are unproblematic in the declaration. Moreover, LomaSalt® products do not contain glutamate or other flavor enhancer like amino acids.
Individual solutions with simple declaration
Beyond the LomaSalt® product range, we are able to develop customized solutions for specific applications, e.g. particular blends with magnesium. The following potassium and magnesium salts are permitted for the use in foods in the EU:
- Potassium Citrate
- Potassium Carbonate
- Potassium Phosphate
- Potassium Chloride
- Magnesium Sulfate
- Magnesium Chloride
Thus, a declaration of these substances is unproblematic. We offer adequate and competent advice on declaration matters of single components of blends.
Disclaimer: The information given in the document corresponds to our current knowledge. We warrant in the frame of our General Terms and Conditions of Sale that our products are manufactured in accordance with the specifications. However, we disclaim any liability with regard to the suitability of our products for a particular purpose or application or their compatibility with other substances. Tests have to be performed by the customer who also bears the risk in this respect. Nothing herein shall be construed as a recommendation to use our products in conflict with third parties' rights.
