Sodium content is one of the major topics of interest when it comes to discussions about packaged foods. One one hand, it has important roles in food preservation, safety, and taste. On the other hand, global organizations like the World Health Organization, as well as national regulatory bodies, are calling for reduction of sodium in packaged food due to the link between excessive sodium intake and cardiovascular disease risk. This presents a major challenge to the food and beverage industry.
Kerry experts Dr. Um Ki Won (RD&A Vice President of Taste) and Dr. Aoife Marie Murphy (Nutrition Scientist) discuss strategies to balance health, taste, and regulations in a recent article.
Sodium intakes in some countries greatly exceed recommended daily amounts. For example, sodium intakes in India are 3,200-3,600 milligrams per day, well over the 2,000 milligram per day limit recommended by the World Health Organization. Such high sodium intakes mean that drastic sodium reduction can be warranted. According to the experts in the article,
…reformulation becomes even more challenging when the sodium reduction required is greater than 25% to meet governmental guidelines and limits.
Read the full article to learn more about sodium reduction in savory snacking, insights specific to India and the Asia-Pacific region, and how taste modulators are evolving to enable greater levels of sodium reduction.
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