KEY INTERVIEW: Salt of the Earth – Staying Relevant Amid the Low Sodium Trend

07 Oct 2014 --- Salt of the Earth has years of experience in salt and it is the leading company in the production of high quality salt in its homeland Israel, but more recently the company has been investing in a range of innovation to expand further into the global arena. FoodIngredientsFirst talks to marketing manager Giorit Carmi and export manager Avi Freund discuss the company’s expansion strategy and also its expertise in low sodium offerings.

Israel-based salt specialist Salt of the Earth has been producing high quality sea salt since 1922 and uniquely it is the only company in the world to produce salt from a combination of the Dead Sea, Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

Over the years it has successfully led the Israeli market with its kosher salt products, but growing concerns about sodium consumption worldwide led to the question: how was the company going to penetrate this segment, in order to become one of the leading companies globally with a new range of Low Sodium solutions?

Well, for the last two years the company made “innovation for the global market” its priority and now finally it is ready to introduce three new salt products to the world, which will be formerly launched at the SIAL exhibition in Paris in October.

“We set ourselves the mission and challenge to create new products which are really innovative and are able to reduce the sodium levels without harming the salty taste of a product,” explains marketing manager Giorit Carmi. “Consequently we are now able to bring two different low sodium offerings to the market.”

Low sodium focus:
The first launch is Umami Salt (and also Umami-Essence Salt), a blend of umami and natural Red Sea salt. The umami has been derived from special tomato extract and the product is available in liquid and granule form.

“With this we are able to offer enhanced flavor as well as 30% less sodium,” says Carmi. “It’s the perfect ingredient for enriching tomato-based foods, such as pizza and pasta but also meats and salad dressings.”

The second launch, Wondersalt, is also a low sodium offering and this time it is aimed at children. The multi-colored salt concept – colored using natural color essence from fruit and vegetable extracts – presents children with a product that has a 50% reduction in sodium.

“The product is designed to help children to control their salt intake,” says Carmi. “It is also hoped to make mealtimes more enjoyable and a pleasant experience.”

The company’s export manager, Avi Freund, explains also that alongside the product the company is offering a new salt shaker, which will be divided into four different colors of salt (yellow, red, orange and green).

“People will start to think about the quantity of salt they are adding,” he explains. “We want to start a conversation during mealtimes about salt and how much of it we use. There are no similar solutions out there for children. It’s a difficult area but it’s about educating and understanding also that this product offers 50% less sodium.”

Both products have been selected as SIAL INNOVATION 2014 products.

The future:
Low sodium is a big area of innovation for the company and this looks set to continue.

“Innovation in sea salt is difficult but we wanted to penetrate more into the global market, so we looked at which area would work best,” says Carmi. “A lot of people around the world now eat industrial and processed foods, so the levels of sodium they are eating are high. We wanted to create solutions for both the manufacturer and the end user.”

Low sodium offerings in the past have not always delivered on taste, while, as Freund points out, they have often also not been natural products.

“Unlike other products which can be full of E-numbers, we have succeeded in creating a natural low sodium salt,” he says.

One of the challenges the company may face, Freund notes, is convincing the market that its offerings are different from some of the early versions which were created by other producers. “When low sodium products first appeared they were almost considered to be a medicine, and only designed to appeal to those who had been advised medically to eat a low sodium diet. We have the challenge of changing this perception,” he says.

But, says Carmi, there is a growing awareness globally of the need to reduce sodium in our diets.

“In both the UK and in Israel for example, there is a huge programme of education in schools on how to encourage children to reduce their sodium levels.”

Meanwhile, Salt of the Earth has another product ready for launch, called Salt ‘N Easy.

The product – a blend of sea salt and different herbs and spices – is designed to help with roasting chicken and fish. The salt is poured around the fish or chicken, which is then placed in a very hot oven.

“Salt is a great heat conductor, which means you get a lovely crispy chicken on the outside, which is still juicy on the inside,” says Freund. “It also makes the cooking process very quick.”

The gourmet recipe roasting mixes come in flavors of Toscana, Silk Road, Mediterranean and Marrakesh.

The concept, which uses 100% natural ingredients, is designed to tap into the growing consumer trends for indulgence foods as well as convenience, while also being clean label and healthy. This product won SIAL innovation 2014 and will be presented at this year’s SIAL exhibition in Paris.

By Sonya Hook