August 7, 2009
K+S KALI GmbH now also refines the precious crude salt from Zielitz to highly pure food-grade potassium chloride food (KCl FCC, FAO, WHO, E 508); abbreviation: KCl Food Grade.
Highly pure food-grade potassium chloride (KCl) is used in food and drinks, i.e. during the production of carrageen when preparing whipping cream, in convenience food (i.e. packet soups) and isotonic drinks for mineral fortification. The shelves of supermarkets show an increasing number of sodium-reduced articles referred to as “low sodium” products, i.e. “Balance®Salt” by esco - european salt company.
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As sodium chloride (NaCl) is the most important mineral for humans and animals, it has been an expensive trading good for a long time. From times immemorial, it has been used for seasoning nearly all kinds of dishes. But not only that: NaCl is an excellent preservative, too. However, the salt intake today generally exceeds the minimum daily need many times over.
For the past few years, there are discussions about possible negative effects on human health in connection with excessive consumption of food-grade salt. As a result, there were calls for having products like packets soups with a reduced NaCl content on the market. Manufacturers, i.e. of convenience food, now have started to address this demand.
However, reducing the content of food-grade salt in finished food can be done up to a certain lower limit only, which may vary depending on the product used. The consequences reducing NaCl excessively are flavour changes, an impact on the production process and changes in quality (appearance, elasticity etc.) of the product in question.
Science & research and the food industry used to be and still are looking for alternatives to food-grade salt without affecting the product properties of long-life food due to the reduction of NaCl.
Since potassium chloride chemically most closely resembles to food-grade salt, it has already successfully adopted an important position in table salt substitutes and low sodium food at international level. In this context, KCI is able to take on flavour-related functions and act as processing aid, i.e. for preservation.
In co-operation with a number of research facilities, K+S KALI GmbH is currently working on designing recipes for low sodium finished food. At present, investigations are being performed with respect to convenience food to determine up to what amount of KCl FCC, FAO, WHO, E 508 can be used as a substitute for NaCl without producing any adverse changes in the properties compared with those products not labelled as "low sodium".
Production site Zielitz to produce food-grade potassium chloride shortly
About the production site Zielitz of K+S KALI GmbH
Think new. – New advertisement campaign for potassium chloride
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