Low-Salt Substitutes From Plant Extracts

DAEJON, KoreaA new study published in Food Research International suggests certain salty and umami tasting extracts from aqueous plants may be used to reduce sodium levels in food products by as much as 43 percent without affecting salty tastes.

To develop a salt substitute with low-sodium content, 13 plants were extracted with water, and their sensory perception was analyzed. After the sensory evaluation, three plant aqueous extracts (PAEs), representing salty and umami tastes, were selected using principal component analysis (PCA). They were powdered using a spray dryer, mixed, and subsequently referred to as plant salt substitute (PSS). The relative saltiness of PSS to NaCl was shown to be 0.65. When the degree of saltiness between PSS and NaCl is the same, PSS contains 43% less sodium than NaCl. Therefore, PSS can be used in food to reduce an individual's sodium intake with the retaining the salty taste of NaCl.