Food scientists have found a way of measuring how we register the saltiness of crisps, which could lead to new ways of producing healthier crisps without losing any of the taste. The research, conducted by scientists at The University of Nottingham, could lead to significant salt reduction in all snack foods.
"The ‘salt burst’ from crisps is only released into the mouth 20 seconds after chewing begins. This means that in many cases the crisp may have already been swallowed before the majority of the salty taste is detected,” Ian Fisk, a lecturer in the Division of Food Sciences, said.
"Our aim is to develop a series of technologies that accelerate the delivery of salt to the tongue by moving the burst from 20 seconds to within the time that you normally chew and swallow. This would mean that less salt would be needed to get the same amount of taste,” Fisk said.
The study has been published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Food and Function.
