Cut sugar and sodium with 1 ingredient

THE Mediterranean Umami has already established itself in many markets as an ingredient allowing sodium reduction of up to 45% in savoury meals. Now Salt of the Earth, Ltd said the same product is effective in lowering up to 25% sugar in savoury sauces with high sugar content.

This dual-solution ingredient is rich in plant-based umami flavour compounds, making it applicable in restaurant meals and food products like sauces. Ketchup, BBQ sauce, cocktail sauce, Thousand Island dressing, chutneys, pizza/pasta sauces and a variety of sauces for ready-to-eat meals (RTEs) are just a few where sugar and sodium are both high. While considered savoury, they typically contain a surprisingly high level of sugar—in some formulations, up to 10-25% of the product.

“Consumers use sauces or condiments in nearly every meal,” says David Hart, Business Unit Director for Salt of the Earth. “These products can increase our daily sodium and sugar intake. For example, ketchup provides up to one teaspoon of sugar per one tablespoon of product. Mediterranean Umami is an easy-to-use solution that naturally enhances the flavours of these sauces while reducing salt and sugar content dramatically.”

Tested in condiments and dressings

Salt of the Earth conducted a number of successful trials on several sauces with high sugar and salt content. In a standard ketchup recipe, Mediterranean Umami was able to reduce sodium by 30%, and sugar by 25% while maintaining an identical organoleptic profile. Exceptional organoleptic results were found in Thousand Island dressing, where the trials showed a 26% reduction in sodium and 25% reduction in sugar. Outside of the addition of the Mediterranean Umami solution, no other major reformulation or high-intensity sweeteners were used to achieve the results.

Across the globe, food and beverage companies are under pressure to cut both sodium and sugar in their products.

“We all want to eat better-for-you products, with less sugar and salt, but it is really hard to achieve this target using only natural ingredients,” explains Hart. “Many R&D and product-development programs are zeroing in on sugar reduction, but the real challenge is to keep the great, sweet-savoury taste consumers crave in a flavourful sauce. Mediterranean Umami provides a clean-label solution for significant reductions in sugar and salt.”

Mediterranean Umami is made of simple and consumer-friendly ingredients including natural vegetable extracts and sea-salt. Its umami flavour boosts the product’s natural taste and can be used for significant reduction of salt and sugar.

The product is available in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium and France via exclusive distributor Kreglinger Specialties NV, and in the US and Canada via exclusive distributor, A&B Ingredients Inc.  It is also available in Asia, including Southeast Asia where Salt of the Earth is seeking product distributors.