Soluble Tomato Solids Reduce Sodium Chloride in Food
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to reduce the amount of sodium chloride in food products without compromising their saltiness, as excessive sodium intake is linked to health issues, and previous attempts like potassium chloride substitution or altering sodium chloride form have been unsatisfactory due to flavor and cost concerns.
Innovation Solution
The method involves adding soluble tomato solids (STS) to food products, optimizing their acidity, formol number, and browning characteristics to partially replace salt, allowing for reduced sodium chloride usage while maintaining the product's saltiness without introducing tomato-derived flavors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If sodium chloride is reduced in food products, then health risks are reduced, but saltiness and flavor are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses soluble tomato solids containing glutamic acid as an intermediary substance that mediates between reduced sodium chloride and maintained saltiness. The glutamic acid in tomato solids acts as a flavor enhancer that compensates for the reduced salt, allowing the product to maintain its savory taste profile without requiring full sodium chloride levels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the food product by introducing soluble tomato solids with specific glutamic acid content. This parameter change allows the product to achieve the desired saltiness through a different chemical mechanism (umami taste from glutamic acid) rather than relying solely on sodium chloride
2Quantity of substance
If potassium chloride is used to substitute sodium chloride, then salt content is reduced, but bitter and metallic off-flavors are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses soluble tomato solids as a natural, food-grade alternative that is easier to incorporate than potassium chloride. The tomato solids provide the desired flavor enhancement without the persistent bitter and metallic off-flavors that potassium chloride introduces, making them a more acceptable short-term or long-term substitute
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite approach by combining soluble tomato solids with reduced sodium chloride levels. This composite formulation leverages the umami properties of glutamic acid in the tomato solids to complement the remaining salt, creating a synergistic effect that maintains flavor without the negative attributes of potassium chloride substitution
3Shape
If the physical form of sodium chloride is altered (granulation or particle shape), then salt delivery is modified, but cost-effective commercial replacement is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter from physical form modification to chemical composition modification. Instead of altering sodium chloride particle shape or granulation, the patent introduces soluble tomato solids containing glutamic acid, which fundamentally changes how saltiness is achieved - through umami enhancement rather than purely through salt crystal properties
Solution Approach 2:
The soluble tomato solids serve as an intermediary that bridges the gap between reduced salt content and maintained flavor. This intermediary approach is more cost-effective than complex particle engineering because it uses a natural ingredient that can be easily incorporated into existing food processing workflows without specialized equipment for particle shape control
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a reduced salt food product comprising STS and a reduced amount of salt when compared to the regular fully-salted product, wherein said food product has a saltiness substantially similar to that of the regular fully-salted product, and is substantially devoid of any additional tomato-derived flavors. The reduced salt food product is preferably prepared by a method comprising adding soluble tomato solids (STS) to said food product and reducing the amount of salt normally added thereto.