Food science rescues flavour with sodium reformulations

Amid rising health concerns, consumers and public health groups are urging for reduced sodium in food products. Daria Pashkova, Product & Marketing Manager at Ohly, shares her insights about how food manufacturers can use ingredients such as yeast extracts to help create lower-sodium foods that still satisfy taste expectations.

Many governments have introduced sodium reduction targets for food manufacturers, aiming to lower the population’s average sodium consumption and reduce rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These guidelines have encouraged manufacturers to gradually reformulate their products to maintain consumer acceptance.

Cutting sodium without sacrificing taste poses a significant challenge for food manufacturers. As sodium is one of the main components of salt, sodium-reduction efforts can involve taking steps to reduce salt content. The problem is that salt is often key to the overall flavour of food and products that lack flavour risk losing consumer appeal, regardless of their health impact. This is why many early salt reduction efforts fail; consumers will reject products that don’t deliver on flavour.

Food science can help to provide ways to counteract this effect. Yeast extracts, for example, provide a natural way to elevate taste perception without increasing sodium levels. These extracts contain naturally occurring amino acids, peptides and nucleotides that deliver umami and maintain a savoury intensity that consumers expect even in a low-sodium formulation.

Yeast extracts are also useful for masking lingering off-notes from sodium chloride replacements such as potassium chloride.

Innovations in ingredient solutions are enabling food manufacturers to strike the right balance between health-conscious formulations and consumer preferences. Yeast extracts can provide a plant-based solution that delivers umami, balances flavours and supports sodium reduction efforts. Unlike traditional salt substitutes such as potassium chloride, which can introduce metallic or bitter off-notes, yeast extracts work in harmony with existing ingredients to elevate those flavours and maintain a full-bodied taste profile.

As the food industry adapts to evolving regulations and shifting consumer expectations, prioritising taste in reformulation efforts is essential. Brands that take a taste-first approach, using natural ingredient solutions like yeast extracts, can successfully navigate the sodium reduction challenge while maintaining market appeal.

Ohly has a range of specialty yeast extracts designed to help manufacturers meet sodium reduction goals without sacrificing flavour.

Image credit: iStock.com/Dmytro Chelpanov