Sauces and seasonings

Abstract

Abstract Sauces and seasonings are used widely and in many forms both domestically and industrially to improve and enhance the flavour of a vast array of foods. As salt is often a key component of many seasonings, it is an important area to explore within the wider context of reducing salt in foods and to support associated public health initiatives. Seasonings and sauces may be used at the table and in the kitchen by consumers or added to foods during processing by manufacturers. This chapter takes a broad view of food seasonings in its many forms with a focus on the application of commercial salt reduction strategies to dry topical seasonings, recipe seasonings, and emulsion sauces. It provides an overview of a number of practical strategies that can be used in the development and reformulation of sauces and seasonings. Key areas discussed are incremental reduction, salt crystal size and morphology, mineral salt replacers, taste-taste interactions, taste-odour interactions, herbs and spices, taste heterogeneity, salt encapsulation, and concentrating aqueous solutions. It is proposed that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to reducing salt in sauces and seasonings. However, depending on the type of seasoning being developed and its target use(s), one or more of the strategies discussed here could be employed to achieve consumer accepted, reduced salt seasonings systems.