March 1, 2011/Prepared FoodsMagazine -- DairiConcepts' Ascentraô was developed to meet the increasing need of food manufacturers to reduce the sodium content in foods, yet offer flavors at full potential. Ascentra is a 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, claims the company. Made from a proprietary, milk-based fermentation process, Ascentra has been developed to include kosher- and EU-certified versions of the base products, available on maltodextrin or non-fat dry milk carriers. Ascentra does not contain MSG, hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP) or yeast extract, so consumer foods can be produced with a clean label and "reduced-sodium" and/or "gluten-free" declarations. DairiConcepts,www.dairiconcepts.com