Tate & Lyle has signed an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Eminate, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The University of Nottingham, UK, for its novel salt reduction technology, currently known as SODA-LO.

SODA-LO enables added salt levels to be reduced by up to 30% in foods such as bread, pizza bases, pastry, savoury pie fillings, cheese, and baked snacks.

SODA-LO is a clean label salt product that is claimed to enable salt content to be reduced in food without loss of flavour or structure.

According to a 2009 report in Food Manufacture, the free-flowing 'SODA-LO' particles - which, at 5-10 microns, are a fraction of the size of standard salt (c500 microns) - deliver an intense, salty hit on the taste buds.

It is well-known that the smaller the crystals, the higher the salt perception, however, the smaller they get, the more hygroscopic they become, losing their free-flowing properties.

By contrast, SODA-LO has been engineered using technology that changes the structure of salt crystals to create free-flowing, microscopic hollow balls. It has the consistency of talc and a shelf-life of 18 months.

While other ingredients suppliers had developed clean-label yeast extracts and flavour enhancers to replace salt, they typically work best in conjunction with non-sodium salts like potassium chloride, which many manufacturers are trying to avoid putting on labels, contends Eminate. "We're still selling salt - only smaller," says a spokesman.

Under the license agreement, Tate & Lyle will assume responsibility for commercialising the SODA-LO salt reduction technology on a global basis, including manufacturing, product development, sales, and marketing.

Several food manufacturers, primarily in the UK and US, are already using SODA-LO. Tate & Lyle plans to commence a global rollout of the product in 2012.

“The SODA-LO salt reduction technology is an excellent addition to Tate & Lyle’s Health & Wellness offering. Salt reduction is a high-profile priority for many of our customers who are committed to formulating reduced salt products to meet growing consumer demand,” says Karl Kramer, President of Innovation and Commercial Development at Tate & Lyle.

Source: Tate & Lyle