Sodium-reduction breakthrough aimed at cheese producers

Source：Chr. Hansen Release Date：2013-03-06 309

Food & Beverage

New product helps remove up to 50% of sodium in cheeses without altering much of taste and texture

Global bioscience company, Chr. Hansen recently released SaltLite, a product that allows the processing of cheese, with less sodium content added to the final product.

“Reducing sodium in cheese is technically challenging as it has adverse impact on taste, texture and shelf life,” explains Timothy Wallace, Enzymes marketing manager. “Commercial attempts to reduce salt in cheese have been largely unsuccessful due to poor product quality. Although consumers desire healthier foods, most are unwilling to trade quality for health.”

The ingredient breakthrough includes DVS? starter and adjunct cultures and the cheese coagulant CHY-MAX? M. The cultures enhance the flavour profile of reduced sodium cheese, and CHY-MAX? M helps to improve texture and reduce bitterness.

Natural solution to sodium reduction

“Using SaltLite, cheese producers are able to reduce sodium levels up to 50% while ensuring exceptional product quality. Moreover, SaltLite contains only natural ingredients already used in the manufacture of cheese. We are proud to make this breakthrough innovation available to the global cheese industry,” says Mr Wallace.

The company collaborated with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, in developing this new ingredient. In her PhD project, Kirsten Kastberg Moeller used current cheese-making technology, making changes to the parameters and extending functionalities of added lactic acid bacteria and coagulant, to improve the flavour and texture of cheddar cheese with a 50% less sodium level. Ms Moeller is now a development scientist at Chr. Hansen's Cultures & Enzymes R&D department.

Junior