An innovative sodium reduction ingredient from Tate & Lyle is set to lead to meaningful cuts in the US’ sodium intake, after a report found that it could lower consumption by as much as 9%.
American consumers typically exceed the dietary recommendations for sodium, and the sugar producer claimed that “much progress still needs to be made” if the country is to meet the 2.3g guideline for the general population, which falls to 1.5g for at-risk groups.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data has now shown that Tate & Lyle’s Soda-Lo Salt Microspheres could potentially decrease sodium intake by 0.23g–0.3g per day – or between 7% and 9% of the total sodium intake among US consumers. Soda-Lo Salt Microspheres is a salt-reduction ingredient that can reduce sodium in certain foods through its technology, which turns standard salt crystals into hollow salt microspheres that efficiently deliver salt taste and functionality by maximising surface area.
A second study published in Nutrition Journal also demonstrated the potential impact of Soda-Lo on sodium intake in ethnic population subgroups who have higher risk for hypertension and associated diseases. It found that there was a reduction of 0.185g–0.323g of sodium per day, which translates to a 6.3–8.4% reduction of current sodium intake in ethnic population subgroups.
Tate & Lyle argued that this represented “a meaningful reduction in these subgroups, whose current intake exceeds recommendations”.
Tate & Lyle senior vice president, new product development, innovation and commercial development Michael Harrison said: “Together, these two studies demonstrate how ingredient technologies like Soda-Lo Salt Microspheres can provide immediate solutions to reducing sodium intake while meeting consumer taste preferences, and ultimately improving public health. Tate & Lyle is committed to providing food manufacturers with effective solutions that can help consumers lower their sodium intake and meet their current health and wellness needs.”
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