REDUCING SODIUM IN THE UK DIET THROUGH FOOD PROCESSING AND INGREDIENT DESIGN

In the modern food industry, salt (sodium) is predominantly included in foods for three reasons: enhancement of flavour, modification of structure and control of microbial growth. This proposal will evaluate a number of new strategies to reduce sodium in our diet by directly enhancing the potency of salt (allowing a reduction in total salt), whilst understanding how salt interacts with food materials during processing. The project will initially explain how sodium (salt) interacts with food structures and how this interaction changes during chewing and typical food production processes. Building on this fundamental understanding, approaches designed to maintain saltiness of foods, whilst reducing sodium levels will be evaluated.

This proposal will evaluate a number of new strategies to reduce sodium ions in our diet by directly enhancing the potency of salt whilst understanding how salt interacts with food materials during processing. The work will initially explain how sodium (salt) interacts with food structures and how this interaction changes during typical food production processes and oral processing (chewing). Building on this fundamental understanding, compounds designed to enhance the perception of sodium will be evaluated and findings will be validated in exemplars of three food systems (wet sauces, fried snacks and baked snacks).

The tightness of association of sodium - biopolymer interactions in solution will be calculated through measurements of bound and free sodium using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers tuned to the sodium nucleus and high resolution 800Hz NMR. The impact on the wider physical and thermal properties will be evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, wide angle x-ray, DVS and DSC. Sodium delivery and perception will be evaluated using the University of Nottingham's state of the art sensory facilities. The resultant bolus structure after oral processing will be evaluated by XRAY-CT, and the mastication process evaluated by electromyography, electroglottography and video oral processing. The role of sodium on the structuring and functionality of the food exemplars will be developed in the Food Production Facility at the UoN, structure will be evaluated using by XRAY-CT, farinograph, rheology, texture analysers, image analysers, LC-UV. Flavour generation and availability will be evaluated using GC-MSMS and APCI-MSMS technologies uniquely available at UoN.

Ultimately this will result in a new framework of understanding of sodium-biopolymer interaction, illustrated both statically and temporally across thermomechanical and oral processing in both model and real food systems.

Target Group: Industrial Groups
Short term: New fundamental knowledge surrounding sodium-food interactions; IP protection.
Medium term: New technologies and knowledge surrounding sodium-food processing; alternative new product design strategies and reformulation tools; increased turnover and enhanced UK tax revenues.
Long term: Cultural change addressing diet and health as a primary driver of the food industry in partnership with commercial drivers, UK food industry's competitiveness enhanced.

Target Group: Policy Formulation
Medium term: a review of sodium targets/recommendations accommodating for technical feasibility in addition to population health needs.
Long term: enhanced alignment between industry, academia and policy makers.

Target Group: Academic Groups
Short term: New fundamental knowledge surrounding sodium-food interactions, new university-university/research institute collaborations (University of Nottingham; Institute of Food Research; University of Birmingham); IP generation.
Medium term: new industry-university collaborations; IP exploitation and new commercial partnerships; increased academic reputation of partner universities.
Long term: increased industry-university partnerships designed to address the long term health needs of the UK.

Target Group: General Public
Short term: Increased awareness of the nature of sodium in our diet.
Medium term: Increased understanding of the role of sodium in food processing; reduced sodium in the UK diet.
Long term: A cultural change away from high sodium diets in parallel with developments by the food industry; increased quality of life due to reduced sodium in the diet.