Nestlé is establishing a collaboration with a US life sciences company, Chromocell Corporation, to identify compounds with the potential to be used as taste-giving ingredients in a range of foods.
Nestlé says that the collaborative project will help advance its nutrition, health and wellness agenda by enabling the company to further enhance the nutritional profile of its products.
Chromocell, which is based in New Jersey, will use its proprietary ‘Chromovert’ technology to screen libraries of ingredients to detect those that provide similar or equally pleasing tastes to salt.
It is hoped the technique, which enables researchers to screen a wide selection of compounds, will lead to the discovery of new flavours. These, said Nestlé, could in future help it to reduce the amount of salt used in its products while preserving the tastes consumers are used to.
Nestlé is investing $US15 million in the research as part of its worldwide commitment to continually improving the nutritional profile of its products while ensuring they remain pleasurable to eat.
“Our collaboration with Chromocell is about finding ways to recreate the tastes consumers expect from culinary dishes, but with reduced salt,” said Sean Westcott, Research and Development Manager for Nestlé’s Food Strategic Business Unit.
Over the past ten years, Nestlé claims that it has removed more than 12,000 tonnes of salt from its food products globally.
The World Health Organization recommends adults consume no more than about one teaspoon of salt per person per day. Globally, many governments and public health bodies have launched initiatives to help people reduce their salt intake.
Nestlé said that its collaboration with Chromocell – expected to last at least three years – builds on extensive work it has already undertaken to reduce salt in a variety of its food products globally, either by adapting existing products or introducing new ones.
Chromocell Corporation identifies and develops new food and beverage ingredients, as well as ingredients for therapeutic purposes.
To discover these ingredients, Chromocell uses naturally occurring systems that mimic human biology, an approach said to be particularly suitable for innovative research in taste and aroma.
“We aim to improve consumer products using breakthrough science and our leading Chromovert technology,” said Christian Kopfli, Chief Executive Officer of Chromocell. “We share Nestlé’s commitment to nutrition, health and wellness through our unique work in the development of the highest-quality ingredients.”
