Adding less salt to prepared foods is a healthy practice, but it results in technological headaches. This is because salt plays a role in food structure, keeping quality and other aspects. It is also important to the flavour, although it would be beneficial if consumers gradually became accustomed to less salt in their daily food. Wageningen UR (University & Research centre), TNO and RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) are jointly researching how to reduce the salt content in foods.
The usual diet in the Netherlands contains too much salt: more than 9 grams per day on average. Nearly everyone in the Netherlands consumes more salt than the recommended daily maximum of 6 grams. Approximately 75% of the salt originates from prepared foods that are purchased as such. It is therefore important to limit the salt consumption from these prepared foods.
Reformulating recipes with less salt
In 2009, Wageningen UR, TNO and RIVM began a joint research project to study how the salt content of prepared foods could be reduced, while maintaining the existing structure, flavour and keeping quality as much as possible. Another aim of the project was to determine the potential reduction in blood pressure that would result from these reduced salt formulations and the corresponding reduction in cardiovascular risk. The keyword in this research project is reformulation: modifying the composition of prepared foods, where excessive levels of unhealthy components (such as salt, saturated fat and sugar) are reduced and the healthy components (such as fibre) are retained. The research project, which is co-funded by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (previously the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Ministry of Economic Affairs), will lead to recommendations for producing healthy and flavourful products that are compatible with consumer preferences.
Healthier products on the market
This "umbrella project" of Wageningen UR, RIVM and TNO involved cooperation with representatives from government, business, science and the food and nutrition education service. The initial results of the research project will be published at the end of 2010. These results will be discussed intensively with the food industry, especially with small and midsize businesses, so that healthy products will become increasingly available on the market.
Less fat and sugar
In subsequent projects, besides reduced salt, reductions in the amounts of saturated fat and added sugar in foods will be studied. The ultimate aim is to generate a larger assortment of healthy foods that are also compatible with consumer preferences.
Consumer acceptance
In this joint project, Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research is focusing on consumer acceptance. This component of the research is taking place at the Restaurant of the Future, where aspects such as the eating behaviour of restaurant visitors are observed without them being aware of this observation. Restaurant visitors are served reformulated products, and the researchers observe whether the visitors modify their behaviour as a result, and if so, to what extent.
As an institute for applied research, Food & Biobased Research uses a wide range of methods in both fundamental and applied sensory research. The Consumer Science & Intelligent Systems research group has experience not only in using sensory panels, but also in correlating sensory data with consumer data. As a result, insight can be acquired into various factors regarding perception and preference.