A look at the latest technology which can reduce salt content in ready meals
March 17, 2022
Author: Emma Hodgson, Marketing Executive
“Did you know – Jet Process could remove the equivalent of 23 London double decker buses of fat and salt from Sainsbury’s Italian sauces and soups in 12 months!”
We have known for some time now that too much salt can harm our health, leading to unnecessary deaths from heart attacks and strokes. Salt reduction has been a feature of UK food policy for two decades, and is accepted globally as a cost effective strategy to improve public health.
This week marks Salt Awareness Week, as set up by WASSH (World Action on Salt, Sugar & Health), who are working together with the food industry to ‘Shake the habit’.
On their website they comment, ‘Salt reduction policies targeted specifically at the food industry are necessary and proportional: three quarters of the salt the nation eats each day is already in packaged and prepared foods. This cannot be removed by the consumer, so simply telling people to eat less salt will not work when our food is full of it.’
In 2017, we received an £1m Innovate UK government grant with a group of companies to develop a system or process to reduce the fat and salt in ready meals, sauces and soups. The research team consisted of UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, A leading ready meal manufacturer, system manufacturer (us!), Nottingham University, a Flavouring company as well as a Hydrocolloids Specialist.
For two years we undertook product and process trials on Sainsbury’s recipes, using many alternative ingredients, flavours hydrocolloids and system stabilisers. It was proven via a team of independent taste panels, professional tasters, Sainsbury’s customers and internal panels that the Generation 4 Jet Processing unit could match the taste and texture of the existing full fat and salt products, without any additional ingredients, flavours or stabiliser solutions. As an additional benefit the Jet Processing System reduces the processing time from 60 minutes to less than 15 minutes.
This multi-functional simultaneous process creates droplets of fat and water to sub 1 micron levels, and has resulted in DCN being able to remove the equivalent of 23 London double decker buses of fat and salt from Sainsbury’s Italian sauces and soups in 12 months. A 70% reduction in fat and 50% reduction in salt has been proven and documented by both Nottingham University and Sainsbury’s UK.
As governments globally come under increasing pressure to cut salts and fats in foods to tackle health issues, more food manufacturers will be turning to innovations which can deliver healthier foods. Jet Process is the answer.
If you want to learn more about how you can reduce salts and fats into your processing solutions, please get in touch today! [email protected]