Résumé
Health authorities recommend a drastic reduction of salt content in food products. However, such reduction leads to a decrease in both saltiness and acceptability. In a series of experiments, we investigated a new strategy to compensate for salt reduction in food. We assessed the effect of heterogeneous salt distribution on saltiness enhancement, and food acceptability. First, we examined whether salt distribution could affect sodium perception in a salty baked food. This model food is composed of two layers: a cream-based and a cereal-based layer. Three salt levels were tested within each layer, according to a full factorial design. A panel of consumers (n=87) evaluated saltiness of each food product. The results showed that salt perception depended on salt concentration as a function of layer composition: salt concentration induced much more difference in saltiness for the cream-based layer (p<0.0001) as compared to the pastry layer (p=0.01). As a consequence, reducing total salt concentration up to 40% had almost no effect on saltiness. Second, we investigated whether a heterogeneous distribution of salt in the creambased layer could affect sodium perception and product acceptability. We designed a multilayer cream-based model food, and varied salt concentration in each layer thus inducing a low, medium, or large contrast of salt concentration between layers, while maintaining the total salt level. Two consumer panels (n= 102 and n=80) rated respectively saltiness and liking. The results highlighted that the product with the largest contrast in salt concentration was perceived as the saltiest (p<0.0001). Furthermore, acceptability for this product was not different from a control product containing 20% more salt but homogeneously distributed. These findings demonstrated that heterogeneous salt distribution is a powerful strategy to compensate for salt reduction in food and to design healthier products while optimising taste.