Salt is SODIUM CHLORIDE (NaCl) which is an essential compound the body uses to:

  • Absorb and transport nutrients
  • Maintain blood pressure
  • Maintain the right balance of fluid
  • Transmit nerve signals
  • Contract and relax muscles

Salt is an inorganic compound, meaning it doesn’t come from living matter. It’s made when Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl) come together to form white crystalline cubes.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of mortality globally, accounting for more deaths than all other causes combined.

Elevated blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths annually, the equivalent of 12.8% of all deaths worldwide. It is the major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) which are the leading causes of death globally.

THE PROBLEM DEFINED

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a salt intake of less than 5g per person per day to prevent NCD’s.

However, the average daily intake of salt worldwide is in the range of 8g-13g per day per person which is far more than the recommended WHO daily intake.

In order to reduce salt intake in the general population, EU and the FDA have focused on a number of defined food categories.

Twelve Categories of food have been identified from which countries (and manufacturers within the country) should develop nutritional strategies to reduce salt content. These include:

* Bread                                            * Ready meals                                 * Fish products

* Meat Products                            * Soups                                              * Crisps, savoury snacks    

* Cheeses                                       * Breakfast cereals                          * Catering meals

* Restaurant meals                       * Sauces & condiments                  * Potatoes

THE RESPONSE

In the WHO European region, over 28 countries of the 53 member states have operational salt reduction policies. More are being developed.

In some countries advocacy groups or research institutions are carrying out activities to enforce reduction in the absence of formal salt reduction policies.

Labelling activities have been implemented in 18 member states and are either voluntary or regulated by legislation.

Monitoring and evaluation activities are in place in 25 member states, in the form of urine analysis, sampling of commercial products and measurement of awareness campaigns.

Some countries have introduced mandatory sodium reduction guidelines and consideration has also been given to the introduction of “salt taxes”, similar to the sugar taxes. By example, Hungary introduced a tax called Public Health Product Tax (PHPT) on packaged foods containing high levels of salt and sugar.

THE CHALLENGE

For decades scientists and nutritionists have looked for suitable salt alternatives or substitutes. This challenge is complicated by the fact that salt serves multiple purposes in food including:

       * Flavour      * Texture      * Safety   * Functionality (salt impacts gluten in bread allowing even rising)

      * Preservation

Finding an alternative to salt has been a challenge for the food industry and the most common strategies have been:

  • Reduction of salt by stealth (slowly reduce salt over time), but this impacts on taste and preservation attributes.
  • Potassium Chloride (metallic taste and not good for health, especially kidneys)
  • Glutamic acid
  • Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG)
  • Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
  • Yeast extracts
  • Aromatic Herbs

None of these ‘alternatives’ have been able to achieve the desired outcomes of reducing sodium, maintaining flavour, texture and preservation qualities. Herbs have long been a proposed alternative, but finding the right herbs, the quantity, and the correct process to work has been the challenge. Without these elements, most attempts have resulted in unusable herbal broths.

THE SOLUTION- SALTLIKE (WITHOUT THE SALT)

IN SEARCH OF THE ALTERNATIVE FOR SODIUM REFORMATION.

FMSI in association with leading research institutes in Portugal have spent over several years researching a salt substitute, that addresses the taste, aromatic and health challenges to make it a suitable alternative.

This research has resulted in using a combination of plants, herbs and vegetables in varying quantities, which are processed via a bespoke solvent extraction process then micro encapsulated, and spray dried to achieve the desired outcome- a look-alike salt alternative.

This secret  recipe and formulation process offers a phenomenal substitute to enable sodium reduction in the food manufacturing process and can also be used in the domestic home-based environment.

This unique formula, and manufacturing process results in a product, that besides reducing salt consumption enhances taste, aroma, texture and has natural antioxidant and preservation properties.

Our product is called SALTLIKE and provides the required taste and enhanced flavour to enable food manufactures to reduce their sodium content in line, with WHO and FDA guidelines with compromising on taste and preservation.

OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE

FMSI, welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with Food Manufacturers to develop bespoke formula’s for specific food products down to a Stock Keeping Unit (“SKU”).

FMSI would provide base samples and in association with the particular manufacturer develop an enhanced version for a specific product type, such as meats, chicken, condiments, snacks etc.

FMSI will then formulate that final product for that particular SKU and provide the final formulated product to the manufacturer in question. The formula would be encoded specifically for that SKU and Manufacturer to enable continuous and consistent supply.