Enhancing saltiness in emulsion based foods

Single and duplex emulsions and emulsion-based products had comparable mean oil droplet diameters (25 to 30？μm); however, viscosity of the duplex emulsion systems was considerably higher. Sensory assessment of saltiness of emulsion pairs (2AFC) indicated duplex technology enhanced saltiness perception compared to a single emulsion product at the same salt content (6.3？g/100？g) in both simple emulsions and the formulated food product (P？=？0.0596 and 0.0004 respectively) although assessors noted the increased viscosity of the duplex systems. The formulated food product also contained pea starch particles which may have aided product mixing with saliva and thus accelerated tastant transport to the taste buds. Lowering salt content in the duplex systems (to levels of aqueous phase salt concentration similar to the level in the single systems) resulted in duplex systems being perceived as less salty than the single system. It appears that the higher viscosity of the duplex systems could not be “overruled” by enhanced mixing through increased droplet phase volume at lowered salt content.The results showed that salt reduction may be possible despite the added technology of duplex systems increasing the overall measured viscosity of the product. The changes in viscosity behavior impact mouthfeel, which may be exploitable in addition to the contribution towards salt reduction. With a view to applying this technology to real processed foods, it needs to be tested for the product in question but it should be considered as part of a salt reduction tool box.Salt (NaCl) has been traditionally used as a food preservative to reduce microbial growth, thereby preventing food spoilage. Salt also plays a crucial role in imparting saltiness to foods, and enhancing or masking flavors, as well as being essential for textural attributes of some products [1]. Reported intake of salt by adults in most Western countries has been estimated to be 9 to 12？g per day [2], which is much greater tha