In striving for a healthier diet, regulators, consumers, and manufacturers are focussed on reducing fat and salt, which has given rise to new approaches and fresh thinking on how these ingredients are used and how we define them. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “it is estimated that we need about 500 mg of sodium daily for vital functions. But too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. It can also cause calcium losses, some of which may be pulled from bone”. Scientists and product developers are replacing salt with lower sodium or potassium-based blends while healthier sources and even structural modification are the subject of much research.

Fats are undergoing a complete make-over. Replacement fats for meat analogues, bakery, and other applications range from proteins to modified starches, polymers that reduce fat absorption, fermented yeasts and cell-cultured meat fats. But fat is no longer just perceived as “bad” and the trend of replacing fats considered to be unhealthy with so-called “good” fats from natural sources like avocado and chia is a popular solution. In this webinar, we will focus on practical reformulation, new solutions and how they align with current consumer thinking, including fat-friendly diets like keto.