Givaudan has developed a unique sensory language called Sense It^TM Salt which enables a more accurate description of the complex taste effects of salt in foods.

Sense It^TM Salt will enhance Givaudan's ability to create flavours that restore the taste aspects of salt and drive consumer preference in low sodium applications.

"It is now well understood in the food industry that salt is a very efficient and complex taste enhancer that goes beyond just making food taste salty. Salt has a range of taste effects over time which we have named 'The Salt Curve'," says Laith Wahbi, Global Product Manager, Savoury.

Using sensory panels of trained tasters, Givaudan has demonstrated that the taste effects of salt can be broken down into distinct temporal phases which strongly influence the flavour profile of the food product application being developed.

Sense It^TM Salt was developed using a global team of flavourists, application technologists and sensory scientists and is now fully integrated into the overall Sense It^TM language that includes more than 350 descriptors with references covering aroma, taste and mouthfeel.

Through TasteSolutions^TM Salt and the Sense It^TM Salt language, Givaudan is partnering with customers to reduce sodium levels in a range of applications - soups, sauces and snacks, ready-meals and cereals - without compromising on taste.

Ottens Flavors has also introduced a product which may help lower the sodium level in popular foods - such as potato chips, soups, meats and sauces - while maintaining the food flavours consumers enjoy.

For years flavour companies have attempted to create functional, cost-effective tasting substitutes with mixed results. Ottens performed two years of extensive testing using its exclusive flavour development process, which allows Ottens to develop flavours to hit a specific taste target.

In some applications, Alt-Salt is nearly a one-to-one replacement for salt. Each application must be optimized for both Ottens Plus Alt-Salt type and level. There are several versions of Alt-Salt and different versions work at different flavour levels depending upon the application.