Sodium-lowering Flavor Launched

January 13/Tendersinfo News -- DairiConcepts has introduced Ascentra to help reduce the sodium content in the foods they produce yet offer flavors at full potential. Great taste and reduced sodium have been difficult to simultaneously achieve, but DairiConcepts claims to have developed the solution.

Ascentra is described as a healthy, powdered ingredient that can lower sodium content by 25-50% in a broad range of food systems, as it boosts salt perception, savory nuances and umami effects. Made from a proprietary, milk-based fermentation process, during a five-year period, Ascentra has been developed to include kosher and EU-certified versions of the base products which are available on maltodextrin or nonfat dry milk carriers. Ascentra does not contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP) or yeast extract, so per DairiConcepts, consumer foods made with the ingredients can be produced with a clean label and reduced sodium and/or gluten-free declarations. The product withstands most typical food manufacturing processes.

Sensory evaluation panellists have described Ascentra applications as tasting more wholesome and balanced than those made with yeast extracts and yielding a more rounded flavor than traditional all-salt formulations. Levels as low as 0.5% have been used to reduce salt and remove MSG from soups and snack foods, create mouth-watering crackers, and boost the meat, cheese and vegetable flavors of meal kits, sauces and dips. Although rich in potassium, Ascentra does not contain potassium chloride, eliminating the possibility of metallic flavor notes, explains DairiConcepts.

From the January 24, 2011, Prepared Foods E-dition