Regarding the lower-sodium challenge, Hvizdos noted, “Some 52% of consumers are monitoring their sodium intakes on a regular basis,” with 26% reading labels for sodium and making decisions based on that information. Food product introductions featuring a reduced-sodium claim rose 115% between 2005-2008, according to Mintel’s GNPD, with companies such as Campbell’s, ConAgra and General Mills leading with successful, low-sodium initiatives.
Some natural ingredient solutions for reducing sodium include using vegetable juice concentrates, such as parsnip, sweet potato or red tomato. Juice concentrates, Hvizdos says, naturally contain minerals, some including significant levels of potassium. Moreover, red tomato juice contains 120mg/100g of glutamic acid, a natural flavor enhancer.