Tate & Lyle has launched what it describes as a ground breaking, new salt reduction ingredient, SODA-LO Salt Microspheres, that is said to taste, label and function like salt - because it is salt. With SODA-LO, the company said that food manufacturers can reduce salt levels by 25-50% in various applications without sacrificing taste.
SODA-LO will make its European debut at Health Ingredients Europe between 13-15 November 2012 (Frankfurt, Germany).
SODA-LO Salt Microspheres has been created using a patent-pending technology that turns standard salt crystals into free-flowing crystalline microspheres. These smaller, lower-density crystals are claimed to efficiently deliver salty taste by maximising surface area relative to volume. Because SODA-LO is made from real salt, Tate & Lyle claims that it has none of the bitter aftertaste or off-flavours associated with some other salt compounds or substitutes.
"As public health advocates continue to call for a reduction in salt intake worldwide, studies show that consumers associate products labelled as low-salt as having inferior taste," said Andy Hoffman, Director of Health and Wellness Innovation, 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 minds that a low-salt product is a bland one."
Tate & Lyle said that its testing shows that consumers perceive parity tastes between products made with regular salt and foods containing SODA-LO Salt Microspheres. Furthermore, consumers reported no "off" tastes.
"Salt is a staple in food production – not just because of taste, but function, as well. 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 as, if not better, than salt," said David Lewis, Director, Health and Wellness Product Management, Tate & Lyle.
According to the company, SODA-LO Salt Microspheres has been tested and shown to work well in a wide variety of foods including baked goods, breading and coatings, salty snacks and work continues to assess its suitability in a number of other applications.
