Can samphire be the new salt? Understanding the potential of samphire harvested from the UK coastline

Sood, S., Methven, L., Balagiannis, D. P. and Cheng, Q. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8198-8556 (2024) Can samphire be the new salt? Understanding the potential of samphire harvested from the UK coastline. Food Chemistry, 438. 138065. ISSN 0308-8146 doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.138065

Abstract/Summary

Salicornia species have been explored as a substitute for salt, however the intensity of salty taste elicited remains unexplained by the sodium content alone. To investigate this, a study was conducted to determine the nutrient profile of samphire extract and relate this to its sensory quality in a nachos base. Freeze dried samphire extracts contain minerals, including Na (12-14 g/100g), K (1-1.5 g/100g) and Mg (0.3-0.5 g/100g) and free amino acids such as lysine (28-41 mg/100g), glutamic acid (20-31 mg/100g), aspartic acid (20-56 mg/100g) and arginine (54-109 mg/100g), which are known to influence salty taste. The sensory panel found that 2.5% addition of samphire extract produced a significantly saltier taste than the control product (0.7% NaCl) at an equivalent sodium level. These findings suggest that the minerals and amino acids in samphire extract may collectively contribute to its salty taste, making it a viable option for reducing sodium in food products.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/114116
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.138065
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences > Food Research Group
Publisher	Elsevier
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