Low salt pig-meat products and novel formulations

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Objectives:
   2. Learning goals
   3. Teacher page
2. Section 1: Salt and Human Health
   1. Sodium and human physiology
   2. Trends in salt consumption
   3. Dietary salt as a health hazard
   4. Epidemiological studies
   5. High blood pressure
   6. Stroke
   7. Death from cardiovascular disease
   8. Osteoporosis
   9. Stomach cancer
   10. References
3. Section 2: Salt Content of Pig-meat Products
   1. Salt concentration in different pig-meat products
   2. Low-salt products in Europe
   3. Comparisons between various processed products
   4. References
4. Section 3: Science of salt in pig products
   1. From muscle to meat
   2. Effect of salt content on chemical and physical properties and implications for organoleptic properties
   3. Problems related to meat pH
   4. Effect of salt content on microbiological properties in processed meat products
   5. Consequences of reducing salt content
   6. References
5. Section 4 Low-salt Pig Meat Formulations
   1. General points to consider when manufacturing processed pork
   2. Balancing low salt with substitutes, enhancers and alternatives
   3. Effect of low sodium on eating quality, shelf-life and functional properties
   4. Optimum concentrations
   5. Cooked sausages
   6. Frankfurters
   7. Dry fermented sausage
   8. Ground patties
   9. Dry-cured ham
   10. Restructured meats (wet cured ham)
   11. Bacon
   12. Novel approaches in product formulation
   13. Other approaches
   14. Conclusions
   15. References
6. Discussion
7. Glossary
8. Completion
   1. Comments
   2. Self assessment
   3. Evaluation
9. Acknowledgment

High blood pressure

Hypertension is unknown in non-industrialized and isolated tribal populations that consume low-salt diets (< 3 g per day) (He and MacGregor, 2007). In addition, a number of studies have shown that migration from isolated low-salt societies to an urban environment with a high intake of salt has been associated with an increase in blood pressure. Approaches and studies carried out differ across countries.

Figure 1.1 Average daily salt intake in population samples and prevalence of high blood pressure (Source: Stamler, J. 1997)

Not surprisingly, there was also a rise in blood pressure with age. However, it is relevant to note that a rise in blood pressure is not seen in isolated populations, such as the Yanomamo Indians, as they age when consuming less than 3 g of salt per day (Mancilha-Carvalho et al., 1989).

As described above, in an intervention study in Portugal (Forte et al., 1989), a 50% lower salt intake was associated with a difference in blood pressure of 13/6 mm Hg. In Japan, a one-year reduction in salt intake of 2.3 g per day (assessed from 24-hour urinary output measurements) was associated with a decrease of 3.1 mm Hg systolic pressure (Takahashi et al., 2006).

A reduction of 6 g of salt per day can lower mean blood pressure by 7 mm Hg in hypertensive people and by 3 mm Hg in normotensive people (He and MacGregor, 2002).