India seeks to cut down sodium intake by 30% by 2025, in line with the global target for minimizing non-communicable diseases set by the World Health Organization. However, the country’s current salt intake is almost twice the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 grams per day.
To address this issue, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India launched the Eat Right Movement in 2018. It encourages packaged food firms to voluntarily reformulate their products to reduce salt, sugar, and fat levels before new labelling regulations are enforced.
Our team of experts in India has been working with a leading manufacturer in this initiative, using natural yeast extract solutions to reduce salt levels (and therefore reduce sodium) in Masala seasoning snacks by at least 10% while maintaining their flavor. In this article, you’ll discover the challenges faced by our experts, the process followed to achieve this goal and why Biospringer’s yeast extract is a key ingredient for sodium reduction.
Snacks reduced in sodium: a key challenge for Indian food manufacturers.
How to preserve flavor in reduced sodium snacks?
One of the main challenges for manufacturers who aim to decrease sodium in snacks with yeast extract is maintaining the product’s taste and flavor richness. A simple reduction in salt level could negatively impact the overall taste perception and flavor profile of the snack. The umami taste from yeast extract compensates for the reduced salt levels by increasing the salty perception and overall flavor intensity.
However, finding the right type and amount of yeast extract to achieve the desired flavor profile while reducing salt to acceptable levels can be challenging. Yeast extracts generate flavor notes that must be harmoniously balanced with the existing flavors of the snack product.
How to improve saltiness perception in reduced sodium snacks?
Improving saltiness perception is another key challenge. Indeed, salt perception has a unique temporal profile: it produces an intense salty taste that fades away quickly . On the other hand, the umami taste from yeast extract has a distinct temporal profile characterized by a gradual build-up across the whole tongue, with a long-lasting effect.
Yeast extract is added to reduced sodium food products to improve perceived salt intensity over an extended period. The yeast extract compensates for the reduction in salt by providing a more pronounced and lingering umami taste. Using different yeast extracts enables the fine-tuning of the desired saltiness temporality and flavor profile.
Yeast extract ingredient is a key solution for sodium reduction.
Our team of experts reformulated the seasoning for this specific product by utilizing a blend of yeast-based ingredients from our Springer Reveal and Springer Umami range. The aim was to achieve the best possible umami temporality and to maintain the flavor profile of the product while trying the reach the highest acceptable level of salt reduction.
After a first product screening, one reference from the Umami range and two products for the Reveal range were selected. The selected yeast extracts were then tested within the recommended dosage, alone and in combination for their synergetic effects. The salt level was then reduced progressively to reach the maximum threshold of acceptability. The samples were then sent to an external for salt and sodium analysis. A few options with different cost in use and different salt reduction levels were submitted to the customer for review.
A successful combination of yeast extracts to achieve salt reduction in snacks
Test 1
Using Springer® Umami Yeast Extract alone reduced the salt content by 17.64% but resulted in a milder masala flavor compared to the control sample.
Test 2
Combining Springer® Umami Yeast Extract with Springer® Reveal Dried Yeast achieved a 21.65% salt reduction, with the test sample maintaining about 70% similarity to the control.
Test 3
The best results were obtained by combining Springer® Umami Yeast Extract with Springer® Reveal Yeast Extract, which led to a 22% salt reduction, a 10.5% sodium reduction, and a test sample with approximately 90% similarity to the control.
What makes Biospringer by Lesaffre Culinary Center unique?
Biospringer by Lesaffre’s Culinary Centers offer unrivalled added value to our customers, improving their product development journey with unique expertise and local knowledge. Our network of six Culinary Centers around the world is a testament to our global reach and local presence. Each Culinary Center is staffed by a team of experts with in-depth knowledge of local tastes, ensuring that our yeast-based ingredients are tailored to regional preferences.
Focus on our Indian Culinary Center, a unique & local expertise available to our clients.
Sushil MUNDHE, Food Technologist & Innovation Specialist in India Culinary Center has strong market knowledge combined with a constant monitoring of industry trends. This enables him to offer innovative solutions that meet the ever-changing needs of our customers based on India. Relying on our Culinary Centers, customers benefit from our commitment to excellence and our ability to deliver timely, high-quality ingredient solutions that enhance flavor profiles and meet specific formulation requirements
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