As consumers become more health-conscious and regulatory pressures intensify, the industry is increasingly looking at healthy reformulation – and food manufacturers are finding more salt and fat reduction solutions that maintain taste and functionality.
In a recent Fi Global webinar, Véronique Scordia, consultant at Frost & Sullivan, and Els de Hoog, expertise group leader for flavour and texture at NIZO Food Research, shared their insights into emerging trends and technologies shaping salt and fat reduction in food products.
Reducing sodium intake is a public health priority. According to Scordia: “Reducing sodium intake is one of the most effective measures to improve health and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases.”
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Scordia highlighted that the global average salt intake stands at 10.78 grams per day – more than twice the recommended five grams for adults. Excessive sodium intake has been linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and even conditions like gastric cancer and osteoporosis.
“In 2019, the WHO estimated that 1.89 million deaths were associated with high sodium intake,” Scordia said, emphasising the potential for preventative action through reformulation.
To address these health concerns, the food industry is exploring various technologies. Scordia explained that several strategies for reducing salt can be employed in food products. These include direct reformulation by replacing sodium chloride with potassium chloride, flavour modulation technologies, and physical structuring techniques.
She noted: "For example, instead of solid salt crystals, hollow salt spheres can be used to reduce the amount of sodium absorbed by the body, while still maintaining the perception of saltiness."
Scordia also pointed out the efforts of major food manufacturers in this area. Nestlé, for instance, uses potassium chloride as a substitute for sodium chloride in its soups and Unilever has also been using flavour modulation techniques to lower sodium content while preserving taste. Companies like PepsiCo have achieved notable success in their snack categories, such as removing 25% of the salt from crisps by employing physical structuring methods.
Like salt, fat is integral to the sensory experience of food, playing a critical role in texture, stability, and mouthfeel. Reducing fat, however, requires solutions tailored to different food matrices. Els de Hoog explained: “Fat has multiple functions in food. For example, in cheese, fat acts as a structure breaker in the protein network. When you reduce fat, you risk creating a tougher, less enjoyable texture.”
De Hoog discussed several examples where fat plays unique roles across different products. “In ice cream, fat stabilises air droplets, creating the smooth texture consumers expect. In mayonnaise, fat fills the emulsion system, and in butter, it forms a continuous fat network,” she said.
Each of these examples underscores the complexity of reducing fat without negatively impacting the product’s sensory qualities.
To address these challenges, various strategies have emerged. A recent trend is a move away from the previously popular approach of replacing fats with carbohydrates and sugars, something that consumers today often do not accept. Instead, protein-based fat replacements are gaining attention. “Tuning proteins to replace fat offers a clean-label solution, and it improves the nutritional profile,” said de Hoog.
Maintaining consumer acceptance during reformulation is one of the biggest challenges faced by the food industry. Consumers are aware of the health risks associated with high salt and fat consumption, but taste and indulgence remain a top priority. Salt doesn’t just provide saltiness; it plays a role in the overall flavour balance, texture, and preservation. Fat, similarly, contributes to mouthfeel and texture, which are essential to product enjoyment.
For salt reduction, de Hoog explained that flavour modulation technologies are useful but complicated. Aroma enhancers and umami flavours “do not really enhance the salt taste, but they enhance other compounds that gives you the connection or the correlation with the salt taste,” she explained.
“However, you still realise it's a bit different, and it depends on the product application… in some products, it really works if you have these kind of umami boosters or yeast extracts, but in some it doesn’t.”
Clean label trends continue to influence the direction of salt and fat reduction strategies. De Hoog highlighted the role of fermentation in creating natural flavour enhancers. “Fermentation is one of the most effective clean-label approaches to flavour enhancement. By controlling the fermentation process, manufacturers can develop exopolysaccharides, which create textures that mimic the creaminess of fat or enhance the saltiness of a product,” she explained.
In cheese, for example, de Hoog discussed how fermentation cultures can be used to enhance salt flavours. “We can reduce the salt content in cheese by up to 40% while maintaining the same saltiness perception, which is quite a huge amount.”
Looking ahead, both Scordia and de Hoog see ongoing opportunities for innovation. Scordia highlighted the potential of disruptive technologies, such as the Kirin spoon recently launched in Japan, which uses electrical charges to modify the perception of saltiness without altering the food itself. “The spoon is an interesting example of what could be done, aside from modifying the food, by just working on the consumer perception.”
De Hoog reiterated the importance of a multifaceted approach to salt and fat reduction, combining various technologies to ensure product quality. Whether salt or fat reduction – there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
For more insights into the latest innovations and trends in healthy reformulation, the report "Healthy Reformulation: Innovations in Salt and Fat Reduction" offers an in-depth look at the strategies that are driving change in the food industry.
This report is available to download now, providing valuable information on how manufacturers can navigate the complex challenges of reducing salt and fat while maintaining product quality and consumer satisfaction.
