Altering release profile can help reduce salt levels in snacks: Study
Salt levels in crisps and snacks could be lowered without affecting the taste by altering the release profile of salt, according to a new study conducted by researchers at University of Nottingham, UK.
In order to evaluate how salt from potato crisps is released and perceived in the mouth, the research team asked a panel of food testers to chew crisps for a specific number of times and hold in the mouth for a period of 60 seconds.
The team evaluated the salt (sodium chloride) level in the mouth by collecting tongue swabs and screening them. It was identified that the salt levels peaked in the mouth 20 seconds after the chewing began, and panelists also reported that they experienced a significant increase in salt during this time, reported Foodnavigator.com.
According to researchers, this means that a majority of the crisp is swallowed even before the salt taste is experienced by the individual.
The researchers are planning to develop a series of technologies to accelerate the delivery of the salt to the tongue. The new technologies will lower the salt release time to within 20 seconds, during which the crisps are usually chewed and swallowed, and hence, lower levels of salt would be required to get the same amount of taste.
This idea could enable food manufacturers to produce healthier crisps with low salt levels and same taste profile, and the research could be extended to other areas of food science to achieve salt reduction in all snack foods.
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