AHA Conference Highlights Solutions for Reducing Sodium Intake

13 Jun 2014 --- Sodium intake around the world continues to be of concern1 and public health authorities hypothesise that it may be linked with cardiovascular disease risk2. In an effort to identify ways to reduce the amount of sodium consumed and provided in the food supply, the American Heart Association brought together over 100 key stakeholders and thought leaders at a special conference in June 2013. Proceedings from the conference were published in the May 2014 edition of Circulation3.

Among the top priorities identified by the group were increasing consumer understanding for the need to reduce sodium intake and the use of food technologies to reduce sodium in the food supply as much as possible. In an effort to advance sodium reduction technology, Tate & Lyle showcased an ingredient at the conference, SODA-LO Salt Microspheres, which has the potential to be a major contributor for reducing sodium in the marketplace.

According to the American Heart Association publication, new food technologies, like SODA-LO Salt Microspheres, can lower the sodium content of foods and are one part of the solution for meeting public health recommendations3.

SODA-LO Salt Microspheres is a salt-reduction ingredient that tastes, functions, and may label* like salt because it is salt. It can reduce sodium by 25 to 50% in food applications such as bread and salty snacks. SODA-LO is created using a patented technology that transforms standard salt crystals into free-flowing, hollow salt microspheres that efficiently deliver salty taste by maximising surface area relative to volume.

Research presented at the conference showed the potential impact of replacing salt with SODA-LO on overall sodium intake. Using US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010 data3, the potential usage of SODA-LO in 953 foods allowing 20-30% sodium reduction was modelled assuming a 50 or 100% market penetration. Results of the dietary modelling demonstrated that sodium intakes could decrease by 4% to 9% across age, sex, and ethnic groups. This reduction is equivalent to 130 to 360 mg/day. SODA-LO Salt Microspheres can serve as one solution to help decrease population sodium intake. While changing consumer palates for foods lower in sodium may require significant time4, interim technologies like SODA-LO can provide an immediate solution for sodium intake reduction.

'Tate & Lyle, as a leader in sodium reduction technology, can offer food manufacturers a novel, great tasting ingredient that can be used in products that consumers will enjoy and continue to demand,' stated Mike Harrison, Senior Vice President of New Product Development at Tate & Lyle.

SODA-LO Salt Microspheres is the result of Tate & Lyle's Open Innovation team that creates partnerships to bring the most exciting new food ingredient technologies to market. Through a license agreement with Eminate, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Nottingham, UK, Tate & Lyle has exclusive, worldwide rights for product development, manufacturing and commercialisation of the SODA-LO Salt Microspheres technology.

*Labelling rules vary from country to country.

References:
1 Brown IJ, Tzoulaki I, Candeias V, Elliott P. Int J Epidemiol. 2009; 38:791.
2 Institute of Medicine. Sodium Intake in Populations: Assessment of Evidence. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2013.
3 Antman EM, Appel LJ, Balentine D, et al. Circulation. 2014; 129: published online May 5, 2014.
4 Hooper L, Bartlett C, Davey SG, Ebrahim S. Advice to reduce dietary salt for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004.1:CD003656.