Processors and researchers alike have been working on reducing sodium in meat and poultry products for years now and have achieved significant results. This is not without its challenges, though.
The use of salt in meat and poultry products is based primarily on the effects associated with three key functional properties. First, it solubilizes the meat’s myofibrillar proteins and interacts with them, leading to increased moisture and fat binding, explains Rodrigo Tarté, assistant professor of meat science in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University in Ames. Secondly, as is well-known, it acts as a flavor enhancer. Thirdly, sodium has significant antimicrobial activity, which leads to improved safety and increased shelf stability. Salt can also act in synergy with nitrite to augment its antimicrobial effectiveness.