Sood Saumya, Methven Lisa, Cheng Qiaofen
Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, United Kingdom.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2025;65(18):3444-3458. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2365962. Epub 2024 Jun 22.
Salt (sodium chloride) plays a key role in maintaining the textural, microbiological, and sensorial aspects of the foods. However high dietary salt intake in the population has led to a series of health problems. Currently manufacturers are under pressure to reduce the sodium levels in foods without compromising the consumer experience. Because of the clean salty taste produced by sodium chloride, it has been challenging for the food industry to develop a suitable salt substitute. Studies have shown that different components within a food matrix can influence the perception of saltiness. This review aims to comprehend the potential synergistic effect of compounds such as minerals and amino acids on the perception of saltiness and covers the mechanism of perception where relevant to taste resulting from sodium ions and other metallic ions (such as K, Mg, Ca), as well as various amino acids and their derivatives. Finally, the review summarizes various salt reduction strategies explored by researchers, government organizations and food industry, including the potential use of plant-based extracts.
盐（氯化钠）在维持食品的质地、微生物特性和感官特性方面起着关键作用。然而，人群中高膳食盐摄入量已导致一系列健康问题。目前，制造商面临着在不影响消费者体验的情况下降低食品中钠含量的压力。由于氯化钠产生的纯净咸味，食品行业开发合适的盐替代品一直具有挑战性。研究表明，食品基质中的不同成分会影响咸味的感知。本综述旨在了解矿物质和氨基酸等化合物对咸味感知的潜在协同作用，并涵盖与钠离子和其他金属离子（如钾、镁、钙）以及各种氨基酸及其衍生物产生的味觉相关的感知机制。最后，该综述总结了研究人员、政府组织和食品行业探索的各种减盐策略，包括植物提取物的潜在用途。
