Food manufacturers will face continued pressure to lower salt levels in their products in response to a growing ‘health crisis’, according to Andrew Ashby, managing director of ingredients supplier Brusco Food Group.
Ashby, whose company recently announced a partnership with sodium reduction system Smart Salt, told
Food Manufacture:
“In the UK we have over 16 million people with high blood pressure and that is one of the main risk factors for stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.
“Regularly eating too much salt puts increased risk of developing high blood pressure because of excess sodium in the body. Ultimately, too much sodium is driving a health crisis in the UK, which is why we should be looking at it from a food manufacturing perspective.”
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Researchers propose standardised testing methods to crack sensory challenge of plant-based milk Despite rapidly growing consumer demand, the quality of plant-based milk products very often underwhelms. The solution? More consistent testing at R&D stage.
There has been a surge of interest recently on the development of plant‐based milk alternatives due to increasing consumer concerns about the ethics, sustainability, and healthiness of animal‐based milks.
Consequently, producers are having to quickly develop and test new formulations to meet rising consumer demand using a range of protein sources such as soy, oat, pea, almond, coconut and flaxseed.
But a lack of standardized analytical methods and protocols is stifling successful innovation in the area, and the more widespread adoption of plant milks is being held back by products lacking the sensory attributes, stability, and functional performance of real cow’s milk.
Health campaigners call for ‘honest’ labelling on so-called healthy snacks Researchers at Action on Salt are demanding a restriction on the use of what it calls misleading nutrition claims on HFSS products after its new data revealed seemingly ‘healthy’ snacks contain often higher salt levels than crisps and flavoured nuts.
The group analysed 118 snacks including dried/roasted pulses and processed pulse snacks such as lentil curls, chickpea chips and puffs,
which are often perceived as healthy alternatives to the usual snacking options such as crisps and flavoured nuts.
Despite these products being on average lower in fat, saturated fat and calories, and higher in fibre compared to standard crisps and nuts, over one in three (43%) contained more than 1.5g/100g of salt – often more than that in crisps and nuts. KP salted peanuts contain 1.3g/100g salt, while Walkers Ready Salted crisps contain 0.35g of salt in a 25g bag.
Not all processed foods should be demonised, say nutritionists What do canned baked beans, low fat fruit yogurt, ice cream, pre-packaged sliced bread, ready-made pasta sauces, and breakfast cereals with added sugar all have in common?
They are all classed as ultra-processed foods, according to the NOVA classification, which defines ultra-processed foods as those made by industrial processing and that often contain additives such as colours, flavours, emulsifiers or preservatives.
A new campaign from the British Nutrition Foundation warns that many healthy foods are being unfairly tarnished by the increased attention currently being placed on all things ‘ultra-processed’.
It is hammering home the message to consumers that, while high consumption of many ultra-processed foods - such as fizzy drinks and sugary cereals containing high levels of added sugar, fat, and/or salt, and lacking in vitamins and fibre - can include a higher risk of cardiova