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Salt
The body needs a wide range and certain amounts of minerals. Sodium (Na), which is found in common salt, is one of these minerals.
Do we need salt?
The need for sodium must be seen in relation to the need for potassium, as these minerals are important to the body’s fluid balance. Too much salt over a prolonged period is not good for your health, and the consumption of large amounts in a short space of time is acutely toxic.
What is salt?
Common salt is called sodium chloride (NaCl). Salt is found in all living organisms, and seawater contains almost 3% salt. Most of the salt we use in food is extracted from seawater (through evaporation) or taken from salt mines, formed from evaporated oceans in the geological past. In addition to sodium chloride, sea salt also contains small amounts of other necessary minerals such as magnesium, potassium and iodine. To remove pollutants and unwanted minerals, evaporated seawater or salt from mines must be refined. This takes place through various refining processes, but they do not change the composition of the salt.
How much salt do I need?
We need approximately 0.5-1.0 gram of salt per day, while the recommended daily intake of salt is approximately 6 grams. In our part of the world, fast food, bread products, cheese and processed meats contain so much salt that our daily intake is more than twice as high. The amount of salt in foods became a topic in the 1970s when nutrition research found a connection between a high sodium content and high blood pressure. Persons with elevated blood pressure were put on a sodium-reduced diet, which lowered the high blood pressure. The World Health Organization (WHO) and nutritionists in countries where processed food is widely used wish to reduce people’s intake of salt.
Why does Rieber & Søn use salt?
We only use salt as flavouring. Many people ask whether we use salt to extend the shelf life of the products. We do not. Product categories in Rieber & Søn that are sold as dry products are preserved through drying. Salt is a good flavouring agent, which is why reducing the salt content while keeping the flavour represents a particular challenge. There are salt substitutes, but several of these are unsuitable for use because they have an unwanted taste or because the taste is altered when heated.
How much salt do the products contain?
The salt content of Rieber & Søn’s products varies greatly. Ready prepared soups, for example, contain about 0.7-0.8% salt, while cakes contain much less, and some sauces a bit more.
Rieber & Søn receives a few complaints concerning salt content every year, and some of these can be attributed to usage. When the customer prepares food with too little water or overcooks it (so that the water vaporises and the concentration of salt increases), or when you add sausage, meat or stock that contains salt, this amplifies the taste of salt. Some people cannot separate between the taste of salt and the taste of spices. In the declaration we state the salt content per 100 grams of prepared food or per serving, where the size of the serving is defined.
Will Rieber & Søn reduce the salt content?
Rieber’s two biggest dried brands, Toro and Vitana, constantly monitor the salt content of their savoury products. Since 1983, the salt content has been reduced by 25-30%, in some cases up to 50%, and this will continue in step with younger consumers becoming accustomed to less salt. It is important that the products retain their quality and flavour and that other flavours and spices compensate for the salt that is removed. We must acknowledge that it is almost impossible to find something that can completely replace salt. The new, salt-adjusted products will not labelled ’reduced salt content’ because they replace the regular products. The salt content is stated as before, so that consumers can see how much salt the products contain.