Flavour Science: Chapter 108. Compensation of Salt Reduction with Aroma Compounds

This study demonstrates that multisensory interaction between aroma and taste can be employed to compensate for the lower salt levels of healthier food products without disturbing the overall flavor pattern. The molecular basis of the saltiness enhancement was investigated by experiments with presumed “salt-congruent” single aroma compounds. Several savory compounds, of different chemical classes and different sensory impact, could be identified as salt enhancing compounds. Due to its synthetic attention, a naïve panel appeared more suitable to demonstrate multisensory saltiness enhancement than a trained descriptive panel. A combination of potassium chloride-based salt replacer and extra aroma could compensate for approximately 30% sodium reduction in instant bouillons without significant change to the flavor profile.