Dairy Processing - May/June 2024 - 42

FORMULATIONS
lastly, when the current text of the SOI uses terms such as
" salted " or " salted in brine " to provide for the use of salt in
the food, but does not provide a list of optional ingredients,
the proposed rule would amend the SOI to add a paragraph
to state: " During the cheesemaking process, where the curd is
salted, salt substitute may be used. "
TOOLBOX OF INGREDIENTS
There are many sodium salt replacements available to
formulators. While potassium chloride tends to be a favorite
in the dairy industry, it is smart to look at all sources of
sodium and possibly make little cuts here and there.
" Salt plays a very functional role in many dairy products. "
Timm said. " In addition to saltiness and flavor enhancement,
it also supports texture and body in cheese and butter, and
is important for microbial management, food safety and
shelf life. "
In addition to Cargill offering potassium chloride/
potassium salt, the company also has a uniquely shaped
sodium chloride salt crystal. The shape influences salty
perception, with a little having a great impact.
" 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, Hoffman Estates,
Ill. " 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. "
Sensient has several offerings for sodium reduction. They
are characterized as flavor enhancers.
" Our proprietary taste technology mimics a full sodium
42 MAY-JUN 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
It's important to consider how
the consumer's taste receptors will
interact with the food item. "
Elizabeth Kreger, Sensient Flavors & Extracts
taste perception in a reduced-sodium application, " said Wara
Pirzada, senior application scientist at Sensient Flavors &
Extracts. " One of the key aspects of all our sodium reduction
solutions is the ability to label as a natural flavor. We can also
tailor each solution to meet the individual needs of a specific
product formulation; it's not one-size-fits-all. "
Sensient's sodium flavor enhancer technology is not a
1:1 replacer for sodium. The company recommends using
between 0.3% to 0.5% to replace up to 40% sodium in
the formula.
" Consumers have certain expectations for how dairy
should not only taste, but also feel, " Pirzada said. " More often
than not, when we try to reduce sodium in products, certain
off notes may begin to pop. These may include sourness,
bitterness and so on. Therefore, sodium reduction can be
especially effective when we combine our flavor enhancement
solution with masking and mouthfeel technologies. Our line of
maskers can help cover up those off notes while adding a fatty
mouthfeel enhancer can facilitate rounding out the profile,
making dairy products even richer. "
NuTek Natural Ingredients, St. Louis Park, Minn., offers
a variety of potassium-salt based solutions that have been
designed to not taste bitter.
" Our clean-label salt solutions are produced using
a proprietary washing and drying process to eliminate
potassium's bitterness, without the use of bitter blockers,
flavor modulators or synthetic additives, " said Steve
Zimmerman, senior director technical sales at NuTek Natural
Ingredients. " These cost-effective solutions deliver a healthier
nutrition balance, while delivering the same great taste and
functionality as regular salt. "
The potassium versions of most sodium-based ingredients
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Dairy Processing - May/June 2024

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