With snacking up during the Covid-19 pandemic, reducing the amount of salt in snacks is an on-trend task for snack companies. Salt of the Earth Ltd. has developed a new, clean-label sodium-reduction ingredient for snack applications.

According to a newly published report by John Lewis and Waitrose, UK consumers have changed their shopping and eating behaviour during the lockdown, with 38% of the consumers admitting to increased snacking. And, for many people, strict personal rules for food adopted before the quarantine have eased, and they are reaching for foods that trigger a comforting childhood memory or are simply a go-to snack to relieve stress.

Mediterranean Umami Powder is based on the company’s all-natural Mediterranean Umami, recipient of the IFT17 Innovation Award, microencapsulated onto a carrier of sea-salt and native starch. This new sodium reduction ingredient is designed as a 1:1 dro-in replacement for salt in snack applications, yielding a 40% reduction in sodium. Mediterranean Umami, is a clean-label, plant-based solution designed to maintain the desired savoury taste that consumers crave.

Mediterranean Umami Powder is also in demand from spice blenders and flavour houses as a tool to provide flavour and reduced sodium in seasoning blends, as it works in harmony as a key component of complex flavour systems.

“One of the key requirements was to maintain a craveable salty and savoury flavour as well as being a natural and clean-label ingredient,” explains Hart. “Since snack foods typically have a relatively high amount of sodium, Mediterranean Umami powder can provide up to 40% reduction in sodium, or be used incrementally, in order to allow for a significant but lesser reduction in the amount of sodium in the snacks. When incorporated as an addition to a seasoning blend, it can then be applied to the snacks using dusting, tumbling, or oil slurry technologies.”

“We are excited to bring our Mediterranean Umami Powder to market after an extensive development process,” says David Hart, business unit director for Salt of the Earth. “Building on the success of our Mediterranean Umami liquid, many customers requested a powder version. The powder is a focussed solution and does an amazing job cutting sodium in snacks without sacrificing flavour. It currently is being used by an iconic multinational brand, and we are on track to multiply this success globally.”

According to WHO, April 29, 2020, most people consume too much salt—on average 9–12g per day, or around twice the recommended maximum level of intake of 5g. Salt intake of less than 5g per day can help reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and coronary heart attack for some adults. The growing demand for a powdered sodium reduction solution encouraged the company to develop the new product.