Potassium chloride is a leading reformulation technology for reducing sodium in food products. As, globally, sodium intake exceeds guidelines, this technology is beneficial; however, its potential impact on potassium intake is unknown. Therefore, a modeling study was conducted using Dutch National Food Survey data to examine the dietary impact of reformulation (n = 2106). Product-specific sodium criteria, to enable a maximum daily sodium chloride intake of 5 grams/day, were applied to all foods consumed in the survey. The impact of replacing 20%, 50% and 100% of sodium chloride from each product with potassium chloride was modeled. At baseline median, potassium intake was 3334 mg/day. An increase in the median intake of potassium of 453 mg/day was seen when a 20% replacement was applied, 674 mg/day with a 50% replacement scenario and 733 mg/day with a 100% replacement scenario. Reformulation had the largest impact on: bread, processed fruit and vegetables, snacks and processed meat. Replacement of sodium chloride by potassium chloride, particularly in key contributing product groups, would result in better compliance to potassium intake guidelines (3510 mg/day). Moreover, it could be considered safe for the general adult population, as intake remains compliant with EFSA guidelines. Based on current modeling Potassium Chloride presents as a valuable, safe replacer for sodium chloride in food products.
igh dietary sodium intake is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, which is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease [1,2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 2000 mg of sodium daily (5 grams of salt) [3]; however, average global intake exceeds this level by far. Impact modeling shows that realistic reformulation of food products to lower sodium levels could decrease sodium intake by up to 30% [4]. Population-based studies have also demonstrated that dietary sodium reduction towards the WHO guidelines could lead to a significant reduction in blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk [4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Therefore, reformulation of food products, and reduction of discretionary salt usage, would contribute to a disease risk reduction [1,2]. In light of this, international health authorities advocate sodium reduction as a cost-effective strategy to improve public health [11].
The food industry is actively engaging in reducing the sodium content of food products. To ensure that products with a lower sodium content remain appealing to consumers, sodium reduction in food products must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to loss in product quality (e.g., preservation and taste properties). A straightforward approach is gradual reduction of the sodium content. However, if done too quickly, the reduction of sodium in food products without adjustments for the loss in saltiness can result in consumers switching to other products higher in sodium or compensating the taste difference by adding back sodium during preparation or consumption [12]. Therefore, other techniques that can reduce sodium while compensating either fully or partially for the saltiness taste are being explored. Sodium replacers can help to reduce sodium intake on a shorter term, while gradually weaning consumers off higher sodium levels, also known as habituation. Both techniques have advantages, disadvantages, and timelines for implementation [13,14]. Currently, potassium chloride is one of the most commonly used sodium chloride replacers as it has a good ability to convey the perception of a saltiness taste in food products
