Design of Colloidal Structures for Salt-Reduced Foods

Salt is a commonly used condiment. Health problems such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases caused by high-salt (sodium) diets have become increasingly serious. However, reducing salt or using salt substitutes often results in poor sensory quality. The sodium in the diet mainly comes from processed foods, among which food colloids are important sources of sodium. The structural design of food colloid systems to reduce the intake of sodium while retaining the original flavor has become a focus of current studies. From the perspective of food matrices, this article briefly describes the mechanism of salty taste perception, and summarizes the current methods available for salt reduction and their advantages and disadvantages. Emphasis is put on the methods of reducing salt in food colloids (adjusting matrix properties, improving network structure, optimizing salt distribution, and accelerating interface instability), and reasonable suggestions are put forward. Through this review, we hope to provide theoretical support for promoting the development of international salt reduction actions.