Dairy Organizations Comment on NYC National Sodium Reduction Initiative
March 2, 2010
Dairy Organizations Comment on NYC National Sodium Reduction Initiative
NMPF commented last month on the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene national sodium reduction initiative. The voluntary initiative sought to reduce sodium content on a variety of consumer products including cheese and cheese for frozen pizza.
Salt plays a critical role in the cheese fermentation process by controlling activities of microorganisms and enzymes central to the cheese-making process. Salt levels affect cheese flavor, texture, and shelf life. Salt is a significant factor in minimizing spoilage and the growth of pathogenic organisms in both natural and processed cheeses. Production of lower fat cheeses has been an industry priority, a goal consistent with public health and consumer demand for good tasting, low fat foods. Water replaces fat in these cheeses, and salt is needed to maintain the appropriate moisture ratios.
While alternative solutions may become available as a result of on-going research, non-aqueous alternatives currently are not readily available. Therefore, tradeoffs between lower fat and lower sodium products could be necessary. The low sodium cheese options that have been available in the marketplace have not been well received by consumers.
The American Butter Institute (ABI) also submitted comments to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In the comments, ABI noted that unsalted butter is currently available in the marketplace, achieving about 1/5th market share for the entire butter category. Salt is not added to butter for volume/filler purposes, but to achieve the desired safety and organoleptic properties. Salt plays a critical role in the butter manufacturing process by controlling the activities of microorganisms and enzymes. Salt levels affect butter flavor, texture, and shelf life. Salt is also a significant factor in minimizing the growth of pathogenic organisms in butter. While unsalted butter does represent a reduced-sodium alternative for some consumers, substitution of some lactic acid for some salt cannot result in equivalent functionality for its bacteriostatic and organoleptic properties.
