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Development and Exploration of Salt-Reduction Strategies in Processed Foods
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Development and Exploration of Salt-Reduction Strategies in Processed Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 1311

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ce Wang

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Guest Editor
SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, No. 1, Qinggongyuan, Dalian 116034, China
Interests: surimi; food processing; protein; gel properties
Dr. Bin Lai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, No. 1, Qinggongyuan, Dalian 116034, China
Interests: food colloid science; marine-based engineered food fabrication
Dr. Jianan Yan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, No. 1, Qinggongyuan, Dalian 116034, China
Interests: food chemistry; gel properties; food colloid science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High-salt diets pose significant risks to public health, making salt reduction in processed foods a global priority. Processed Foods are widely consumed but typically high in sodium, creating an urgent need for effective salt reduction strategies. This Special Issue focuses on the development and exploration of innovative approaches to reduce salt content in these products while maintaining their sensory quality, texture, and shelf life. Key topics include the application of salt substitutes (e.g., potassium chloride, amino acid derivatives), flavor enhancement technologies, structural modification of emulsions, and optimization of processing parameters. Studies presented here address technical challenges such as taste loss, texture deterioration, and microbial stability associated with salt reduction. The collected research provides valuable insights for food manufacturers, researchers, and policymakers, contributing to the development of healthier processed products that meet consumer demands and public health objectives.

Dr. Ce Wang
Dr. Bin Lai
Dr. Jianan Yan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • salt reduction
  • processed products
  • sensory quality
  • processing technology
  • texture property

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 7824 KB  
Article
Mineral-Fortified and Sodium-Reduced Pimento-Paste-Stuffed Spanish-Style Manzanilla Olives
by Antonio López-López, José María Moreno-Baquero and Antonio Garrido-Fernández
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1658; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101658 - 9 May 2026
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Abstract
This study evaluates the concentrations and distributions of major minerals in pimento-paste-stuffed Spanish-style olives, their mineral-fortified products, and their components. Mineral partitioning was assessed using the distribution coefficient (Kd). Model formulations and optimisation were performed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the concentrations and distributions of major minerals in pimento-paste-stuffed Spanish-style olives, their mineral-fortified products, and their components. Mineral partitioning was assessed using the distribution coefficient (Kd). Model formulations and optimisation were performed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). In the raw pimento-paste-stuffed olives, sodium was highest in the brine compared to the whole product, pitted olives, or stuffing. The Kd was < 1 on a whole-product basis but approached equilibrium (Kd = 1) when moisture was factored in, indicating a balance between product moisture and brine. Desalting reduced mainly sodium, potassium, and magnesium, followed by calcium, phosphorus, and other minor naturally occurring minerals. Fortification through packaging brines resulted in a product with low sodium (~7.1 g/kg, 30% of the Daily Reference Intake, DRI) and potentially high levels of potassium (up to~5.4 g/kg; 27% DRI), calcium (~4.6 g/kg; 58% DRI), and magnesium (~1.8 g/kg; 32% DRI). For practical purposes, mineral profiles were grouped into four formulation categories: sodium-dominant, calcium-rich, potassium–calcium-abundant, and potassium–magnesium-rich. RSM optimisation showed that brines containing 1.189% KCl, 0.334% CaCl2, and 0.978% MgCl2 achieved the most desirable mineral balance, enabling substantial sodium reduction while enhancing nutritional value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Exploration of Salt-Reduction Strategies in Processed Foods)
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23 pages, 3349 KB  
Article
Roles of Amino Acid Properties in Regulating the Gel Characteristics of Low-Salt Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Surimi
by Yiting Gu, Wanying Sun, Jiao Jia, Jianan Yan, Bin Lai, Haitao Wu and Ce Wang
Foods 2026, 15(2), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020400 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 495
Abstract
To improve the gel quality of low-salt shrimp surimi gel (SSG) from Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), L-arginine (L-Arg), L-lysine (L-Lys), and L-proline (L-Pro) were used as partial substitutes for NaCl. The effect of the three amino acids on gel properties, [...] Read more.
To improve the gel quality of low-salt shrimp surimi gel (SSG) from Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), L-arginine (L-Arg), L-lysine (L-Lys), and L-proline (L-Pro) were used as partial substitutes for NaCl. The effect of the three amino acids on gel properties, protein conformation, microstructure, and in vitro digestion of low-salt SSG were systematically analyzed. Macro-/microstructural analyses revealed that L-Arg, L-Lys, and L-Pro promoted denser three-dimensional networks in low-salt SSG with smaller pore sizes. Compared with the low-salt control (LC) group, the addition of L-Arg, L-Lys, and L-Pro significantly increased the gel strength of low-salt SSG. Cooking loss was significantly decreased from 10.80% (LC group) to 1.89–4.31%. Protein solubility and turbidity results demonstrated that all amino acids markedly enhanced protein solubilization and inhibited protein aggregation. L-Arg and L-Lys mainly promoted hydrogen and disulfide bonds, but reduced hydrophobic interactions and ionic bonds. L-Arg impaired digestibility only in the gastric phase, whereas L-Lys suppressed digestibility across both gastric and intestinal phases. Through molecular docking technology, ASN-238 and LYS-187 of myosin (the dominant gel-forming protein) are the key shared binding residues with three amino acids. These findings suggest that amino acids provide a feasible approach to specifically modulate the gel characteristics of low-salt surimi products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Exploration of Salt-Reduction Strategies in Processed Foods)
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