Yeast Extracts Help Reduce SodiumNot Taste

Although the daily reference value (DRV) for sodium is 2,400 mg (2.4 grams), according to the American Heart Association (AHA), Dallas, Americans consume an average of 6 to 18 grams of salt—2,400 mg to 7,200 mg of sodium—per day. However, AHA notes that our bodies only need 200 mg of sodium a day. Excessive sodium intake might lead to increased risk of high blood pressure and hypertension, which can increase the chances of heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 3 causes of death today in the United States.

Processed foods can contain excessive sodium levels, often because salt tends to bring out the best in savory flavor perception. According to the World Health Organization’s 2002 “World Health Report,” processed foods, including soups, sauces and snacks, contribute 75% of people’s salt intake.

However, consumers have shown a desire to cut salt, and manufacturers have started reacting. In 2005, U.S. manufacturers released 305 new products with no-, reduced- or low-sodium claims on the label, according to the Global New Product Database from Mintel, Chicago.

Some reduced-sodium foods are either flavorless or have a bitter, metallic aftertaste from replacing sodium chloride with potassium chloride. Therefore, the desire for healthier foods and the purchase of healthier foods often remain at odds.

In order to help meet this desire for better-tasting reduced-sodium foods, DSM Food Specialties USA, Inc., provides natural yeast extracts that act as building blocks in food applications to boost the perception of salty, savory characteristics while improving mouthfeel.

The Maxarome® family of products can help formulators achieve up to 60% salt reduction without sacrificing taste. “We are seeing tremendous interest in the food industry to create healthier products which deliver on all facets, including lower levels of sodium—not just lower in fat, trans fats or cholesterol,” says Otis Curtis, business development manager, Savory Ingredients. “The Maxarome family of yeast extracts is a very effective and timely solution to the lower-sodium effort seen in the industry.”

This yeast extract enhances the food’s natural flavors while lending umami to the flavor of the food. Maxarome also helps mask bitter, metallic, astringent, acidic, soy and/or starchy off-notes. It brings sour, sweet, salty and bitter tastes into balance while improving mouthfeel. These attributes affect a faster, stronger and longer flavor impact in reduced-sodium foods, thereby delivering the flavor experience found in their full-sodium counterparts.

These yeast extracts are rich in naturally occurring 5’ nucleotides like guanosine-5’-monophosphate (GMP) and inosine-5’-monophosphate (IMP), which act as natural flavor enhancers and work synergistically with the naturally occurring glutamic acid and other amino acids and peptides present in the ingredient.

Maxarome Standard (more than 2% GMP) comes as a free-flowing powder or paste, while Maxarome Plus (more than 4% GMP and IMP) comes as a powder. Reduced-sodium and verylow- sodium versions are available (less than 8% and 1% sodium, respectively). For maximum enhancement and very clean flavor, Maxarome Premium delivers more than 9% GMP and IMP. These natural, kosher, halal, allergen-free, vegetarian, trans-fat-free and GMO-free ingredients permit sodium reduction in soups, sauces, marinades, snacks and other foods.

DSM Food Specialties USA, Inc.
2675 Eisenhower Avenue
Eagleville, PA 19403
Phone: 610/650-8480
Fax: 610/650-8599
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.dsm.com