Nu-Tek Salt Announces Sodium Reduction Technology for Meat Systems

Nu-Tek Products has developed a new sodium reduction technology for the processed meat industry. This new technology allows for the meat developer to reduce the sodium content by 25 - 50% in their processed meats. Nu-Tek salt looks like sodium chloride and functions like sodium chloride in processed meat systems.

04/05/09 Meat naturally contains 50-70 mg sodium/100 g but salt (sodium chloride) added to processed meats may increase this by 10 to 30 fold. This makes processed meats a leading contributor of sodium in processed foods. Salt typically contributes the most sodium in processed meats followed by phosphates and lactates.

Researchers and Product Developers have been trying to reduce sodium in processed meats with some difficulty. Sodium contributes to the flavor of processed meats but also adds functionality to meat systems. Salt has functional benefits which include preservation, emulsification, tenderness and juiciness. Salt is typically used to preserve meat, fish, and eggs by reducing the water activity of foods so that there is not enough water available for growth of pathogenic or spoilage organisms. Salt (sodium chloride) also enhances the hydration of proteins and the binding of proteins to each other and to fat. These reactions stabilize emulsions of ground meat mixed with fat. In meat, added salt activates proteins to bind more water molecules. This increases the tenderness and juiciness of meats.

Nu-Tek has developed a new salt system for processed meats that will add flavor and functionality similar to salt with a reduced sodium content. Nu-Tek has evaluated this salt in ham and beef systems for flavor and functionality. Nu-Tek evaluated their salt using the sensory lab at University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE - using deli ham as a Model System (n=38). Results indicated feasibility for a 25% reduction in Na content in deli ham slices with no difference in flavor.

Nu-Tek's low sodium salt provides as good if not better water holding capacity and fat emulsifying capacity than salt (sodium chloride) in a ground beef system. The study shows that typical Potassium Chloride (KCl) does not function as well as Nu-Tek salt. In this study, the control has no salt added.

If you are looking for an easy and economical solution to sodium reduction in processed meats, Nu-Tek's salt technology can help resolve flavor and functional issues.