Salt has many benefits. At one point in history it was even worth more than gold, by weight. We don't have the same abundance issues we used to with this now default indgredient, instead our present situation at hand is quite to the contrary.
Salt, sodium, MSG and their ilk, are now the target of an unofficial, global campaign to stamp-out excessive use of the ingredient. This, however, is nothing new.
Heart disease has been the leading cause of death for many years, so it comes as no surprise that there are companies working hard to develop products that allow food producers to retain the amount of flavor in their culinary creations without having to drown them in sodium-based ingredients.
Coincidentally, at this year's Food Ingredients Europe fair in Paris, one company was recognized for doing just that. Scelta Taste Accelerator (STA) uses the natural power of umami to increase flavor and reduce sodium in processed foods.
"Our latest winnovation has already been honoured by the jury of experts from the Food Ingredients Europe Innovation Awards. We stepped ahead of tough competition to be selected as one of the three finalists in the category Best Functional Innovation," the company states on its website.
The company explains that its STA adresses a problem many food companies are currently trying to surmount in a 100% natural way. They say 80% of salt intake comes from processed foods, such as bread, meat and cheese. As a consequence, this has pushed the issue of salt reduction to a top priority in food production. Unfortunately, reducing salt without also reducing flavor is an extremely daunting challenge. Enter Scelta Taste Accelerator.
Seems to have worked wonders as the company took the overall top spot and also as mentioned earlier, 'Most Innovative Food Ingredient.'
Scelta says the ingredient can be used in a wide variety of products. Congratulations! We look forward to seeing more innovations from them as the situation develops.
