When salt is reduced, the yeast becomes more active. Reducing the sugars may keep the doughfrom rising too quickly.

Photo courtesy of Wixon.

It's hard to walk down a supermarket aisle these days without seeing the words “reduced salt” or “low sodium” on packaging.

Americans consume about 4,000 mg of sodium per day, which is almost twice the recommended amount, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The FDA currently classifies salt as GRAS. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that young adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium daily and that people with hypertension, African Americans and middle-aged or elderly people limit their salt intake to 1,500 mg.

In 2005, CSPI petitioned the FDA to remove the GRAS status of salt and require manufacturers to reduce sodium levels in processed foods, stating too much sodium is raising blood pressure and prematurely killing close to 150,000 every year. In November 2007, the FDA held a hearing to discuss its policies regarding sodium in foods.

Consumers are becoming aware of the sodium levels in foods, as more Americans face high blood pressure and heart disease, and the media gives sodium consumption more attention. This trend has bakers striving to reduce sodium levels in baked products to comply with consumer demand.

Salt vs sodium

Oftentimes, the average consumer does not understand the difference between salt and sodium. “When people talk about salt reduction, I believe they also mean sodium reduction. Salt is an ingredient that contains sodium. Sodium also comes from other sources. Leavening systems, such as sodium bicarbonate, contain significant amounts of sodium, so you have to look at not just salt reduction, but sodium reduction in general,” says John Brodie, technical service manager, bakery, Innophos, Cranbury, N.J.

Sodium may come from added salt in many baked products, but in cakes it comes from leavening agents.

Photo courtesy of Wixon

Sodium occurs naturally in foods, usually in small amounts. Salt (sodium chloride) also is naturally present in foods and contains 40 percent sodium by weight. Other sodium-containing ingredients, including sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate and monosodium glutamate, often are used in food processing, says Mariano Gascon, vice president, research and development, Wixon, St. Francis, Wis. So while consumers may try to avoid adding excess salt to foods, most dietary sodium comes from sodium already added to products during processing or preparation; which puts the burden on bakers to regulate sodium levels in bakery items.

“We're seeing a lot more companies looking at their formulas, especially if they're working with school lunch programs,” Brodie says. Initial requests to lower sodium came from schools looking for more healthful lunch choices for students, and the trend has moved to mainstream consumers.

The effects of sodium on our health

With all the talk of sodium reduction, it can be difficult to remember that our body needs sodium to survive. Having a proper balance of water and sodium in the body is necessary for good health, but too much sodium or water upsets the balance, and thus one's health.