Reducing salt levels in seafood products

Abstract Seafood products, both from fisheries and aquaculture, are important low-calorie and low-fat sources of high-quality protein, providing key nutrients, and livelihood for hundreds of millions of people. In 2014, 67 million tonnes of the global production was intended for direct human consumption in the form of live, fresh, or chilled fish, which in some markets are the most preferred. The rest of the production for edible purposes was processed in different forms, with about 44 million tonnes as frozen, 17 million tonnes as dried, salted, smoked, or other cured forms, and 19 million tonnes in other prepared and preserved forms ( FAO, 2016 ). Most farmed and wild fish species present quite low sodium contents, but in preserved and processed fish products, the salt content is quite variable, ranging from Seafood and catering industries, seafood retailers, and restaurants are increasingly involved in collaborative actions towards salt reduction. Retailers have answered positively to concerns related to the high salt content of food products. Seafood processors have already developed some lower salt products, but pressure for further salt reduction is increasing. However, high salt reductions in processed seafood present limitations associated not only to the loss of flavour, but also due to its preservative effects, even though many technological developments might help to reduce or eliminate such dependence. Seafood processors have scope for further reducing salt content in several fish products through the application of adequate strategies that cover the reduction itself, the substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) by other salts and additives or applying different methods or technologies. Finally, consumers have large responsibilities and play an important role, since they are the key element for the success of a food product. Therefore, they have to be informed and motivated to reduce the salt intake in their diets, and to persuade producers to reduce the current high salt content in processed foods and to provide more low salt alternatives. However, their commitment in demanding food salt labelling and ability to read and understand food labels are of utmost importance. The most promising approach to achieve a reduced intake of salt in seafood is to offer products with less salt but uncompromised functionality. The alternative should be equally appealing in its sensory properties and fulfil other requirements of salt, e.g. for preservation and texture.