That being said, I eat meat at least once, usually twice, a day and never go anywhere near my sodium limit, so it also depends on what you ADD to the meat when you cook it. Salt also solubilizes a significant amount of the meat proteins, which then can form a gel when cooked. Visit our updated, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. One significant problem is no single perfect sodium substitute exits. Also choose low sodium grains such as rice, pasta, quinoa or barley, and include dried beans or low sodium canned beans regularly. For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com. Even the low sodium stuff is pretty high in it. In meat and poultry processing, salt is a multifunctional ingredient and plays several critically important roles.
A new salt replacement is permeate, minerals filtered out during the production of whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, ultra-filtered milk, milk protein concentrate or milk protein isolate.
“The bottom line: salt can be reduced up to a point, which may be somewhat different for different processors, but cannot be completely eliminated, and a combination of other ingredients may need to be included to compensate for reduced salt, depending on how far a processor may be trying to go,” Sebranek says. Many companies are reducing sodium in their products either with low sodium offerings highlighted on the package or by gradually reducing sodium in the products over time.
Many fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium, and a diet rich in potassium can help the body remove excess sodium through the urine. Some reduction of sodium can be achieved by simple reformulation, but it’s limited by minimum salt concentration required to provide sufficient extraction of proteins, Sullivan says. “Preblending is a method where a portion of the meat is mixed with salt and other functional ingredients and held overnight,” Sullivan says. In meat and poultry processing, salt is a multifunctional ingredient and plays several critically important roles. Additionally, new ways of preparation, with spices, herbs and different ingredients, allow for the development of flavor such that the reliance on salt is reduced significantly without a discernible sacrifice in taste, texture or other functionalities that matter to the processor. Sea salt has been proposed as a method to reduce sodium content as it is contains minerals other than just sodium chloride, Sullivan says. Additionally, salt is an antimicrobial ingredient with the effects directly related to the amount of salt used. “Adding salt to meat products improves the moisture retention and reduces cook losses resulting in a more juicy product.”. “It also traps and holds water and fat to contribute to tenderness and mouthfeel.”. “The result is a succulent, moist, tender product,” he explains. By now you’ve probably heard that consuming excess sodium can be bad for your health. Sebranek also feels the industry’s current approach of a very gradual reduction of sodium content over time to allow consumers to acclimate to subtle changes, such as flavor, will continue to grow. The preblend is then mixed with the remaining meat in the formulation and targeted salt concentration.”. Shelke expects to see new ways of cooking that enhance taste and texture of meat and poultry such that salt is not needed in the amounts used currently.
Reducing sodium in meat and poultry products Sodium's sticking point: Meat and poultry processors continue to battle to reduce sodium in their products, but it’s not always an easy feat to accomplish without affecting functionality or taste. “Although sodium phosphates contain sodium, a net reduction in sodium can be achieved with its addition due to reduction of sodium chloride in meat and poultry products,” Sullivan explains.
I don't want to let all this money i spent go to waste. While this can improve the flavor and texture of the chicken, it obviously adds sodium that isn't necessary. I'm the same. You can remove excess sodium from the processed meats by soaking them in water. The amount of sodium in any product can be found on the nutrition facts panel, so consumers can use this as a guide when purchasing meat products. Shelke also believes the biggest issue with salt replacement is food safety. Because of this, meat and poultry products will not just be lower in sodium but also appeal to those seeking clean-label and honestly healthful foods, Shelke says. Elizabeth Fuhrman is a contributing writer. “There is definitely a strong trend to reducing sodium that has been ongoing for some time,” Sebranek says. “In meat products, salt provides the salty taste and also increases the perception of other flavors in the meat product,” explains Gary Sullivan, assistant professor of meat processing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. For example, salt is an important water binder along with being necessary for product texture and mouthfeel. For example, sodium phosphates are often avoided in these products and are the hardest to replicate in natural or clean-label products.
A partial substitution of sodium chloride with potassium chloride can reduce sodium content in meat product, but replacement rates are limited by a bitterness from the potassium chloride. Many products currently are being promoted as sodium alternatives and include non-meat proteins, fruit and vegetable fiber products and reformulation technology. There's nothing you can do to "absorb" the sodium because elements can't be lost. It can replace not only salt, but also monosodium glutamate in some foods, Shelke says. I saw a story on the news about employees at a pork processing plant who were contracting MRSA from handling the meat. Excess sodium can elevate blood pressure, which in turn can lead to stroke, heart and kidney disease. “Permeate is used to substitute for salt in meat and poultry products and is labeled as dairy product solids and, therefore, may not be allowed in Kosher products,” Shelke says. Kantha Shelke, principal of Corvus Blue, in Chicago, agrees that reducing the amount of added sodium in meat and poultry is challenging, because sodium is a part of many ingredients that contribute functionality, flavor and safety to meat and poultry. “Typical concentrations are less than in the past, but there are limits to how far processors can go without loss of product quality.”. Pssst... Ham is usually brined or processed with flavor addatives before smoking or curing. Sodium reduction must be done carefully to ensure no undue food safety risks are created. It's going to have natural sodium from the animal itself, just like you and I need sodium in our system to survive. One company has released a salt replacement made from sea salt and umami-rich vegetables such as tomato concentrate, and mushroom and seaweed extracts. I am trying this diet and it requires me to eat foods that has no sodium. There is really no way to remove salt from cooked meat. “When greater sodium reduction is required, addressing the different functions of salt is necessary,” he says. Now if you throw the exact same lean roast into the crock pot add water, then add say onion soup or a meat tenderizer, the sodium level just spiked in the meat. Processors will need to find new ways or preparation, such as using spices and herbs, to maintain a product's taste and flavor while reducing sodium. Sullivan thinks that unlike previous attempts, current sodium reduction efforts involve slowly reducing sodium over time and not necessarily being used as a marketing strategy. Additionally, modifying the processing schedule can be used to increase protein extraction. But, keep in mind that there are still practical limits in meat products due to the multiple functions of salt.”. There will still be some sodium in the meat, but it will be significantly lower than deli/prepared meats. Conversely, previous efforts tended to greatly reduce sodium content all at once or processors offered a “regular” and a “low-” or “reduced-sodium” version of the same product, he says.