Enhancing saltiness perception in bone broth: the additive effect of oil and optimization of sodium‐reduction formula for consumer acceptability

Abstract BACKGROUND Excessive NaCl intake in liquid and semi‐solid food (e.g. soup, hot pot base, sauce) poses a high risk to human health, and reducing NaCl intake is a major concern for global health. RESULTS Using the generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) method, the study verified the possibility of sodium reduction through oil addition. The compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT) were determined. The gLMS results showed that the saltiness intensity of samples containing 0.36% NaCl and 2.29% sunflower seed oil was significantly higher than that of samples containing only 0.36% NaCl ( P < 0.05). CAT and HRT results indicated that by adding 3.59% sunflower oil, the NaCl content could be reduced to a minimum of 0.14% without causing sensory rejection in bone broth samples. The quantitative descriptive analysis method was used to determine the effects of NaCl and oil concentrations on the sensory attributes of bone broth samples. Furthermore, it was used to analyze the consumer acceptability drivers in combination with the hedonic scale to optimize the formulation of reduced‐salt bone broth products. Notably, sample E (0.36% NaCl, 2.29% fat) not only had a significant salt reduction effect with a 20% decrease in NaCl, but also had improved overall acceptability. CONCLUSION This study provides theoretical guidance for designing salt‐reduction cuisine within the catering and food industries, including bone broth and hot pot bases. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.