The Salt That Does it All: Alberger^® Fine Flake

Contrary to popular belief, salt is so much more than just salt. There’s a wide range of performance metrics that differentiate one salt from the next. When deciding which salt to use in food products, food manufacturers have to consider functional attributes such as solubility, adherence, blendability, absorption, and sodium reduction. These important characteristics delivered by salt can be vital to producing the right texture, flavor, or visual appeal for certain food applications. Choosing the right salt that will optimize the success of a food product can be a complicated feat, which is why Cargill Salt partners with food manufacturers to provide the expertise, tools, and resources to develop the right salt formulas for varying food applications.

If a food manufacturer wants a salt that will blend smoothly within a product, such as peanut butter, a finer granulation of salt would be ideal; if they want a salt that will stick well to the top of a food application, such as a cracker, a flakier salt may be the right choice. But, if a food manufacturer wants exceptional blendability, adherence, and more, it might be likely that we recommend Alberger® Fine Flake Salt.

Alberger® Fine Flake Salt is the only high-purity, food-grade flake salt of its kind. Its unique, hollow pyramid shape creates increased surface area and low bulk density compared to standard granulated salt. These attributes combine to offer a measurable advantage in a wide variety of functional characteristics, outlined below:

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• Lower Bulk Density – Salt density is defined as the salt crystal’s weight by volume—or, in other words, the number of pounds of salt that fits into a cubic foot.
  • In combination ingredients, such as spice mixes, use  ingredients with similar bulk densities so they blend together evenly and minimize separation.
  • Having a lower bulk density may also help reduce sodium up to 33% without compromising taste in some food applications.¹

 

Measuring Bulk Density (grams/liter)
Standard Granulated Salt	1,250
Alberger® Fine Flake Salt	865

 

The lower the bulk density number, the better the salt coverage with less weight.¹

 

*Testing completed by Cargill on specific applications. Results may vary.

 

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• Better Adherence – Adherence is the salt crystal’s ability to stick to food products. The better a salt adheres to a surface, the less salt fall-off and waste occurs, meaning less salt is required to achieve the desired flavor profile.²

 

Measuring Adherence (0-100%)
Standard Granulated Salt	75%
Alberger® Fine Flake Salt	95.8%

 

Percent adherence indicates the amount of salt that sticks to a surface when tested. The higher the number, the better the salt adherence.²

*Testing completed by Cargill on specific applications. Results may vary.

 

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• Faster Solubility – Solubility is the degree to which a substance is able to dissolve in a solvent.
  • A fast dissolving salt crystal provides a quick flavor burst in the mouth versus a slow dissolving crystal that may not fully dissolve before being swallowed. 
  • Quicker solubility may help to reduce the amount of salt used in a topical application without compromising taste.³

 

Measuring Solubility Rate (seconds)
Standard Granulated Salt	90 seconds
Alberger® Fine Flake Salt	28 seconds

 

With equal amounts of salt (22 g) poured into separate but equal amounts of water (100 mls) at the same temperature (60° F*) without stirring, we can see that fewer seconds indicates faster solubility.³

           *Testing completed by Cargill on specific applications. Results may vary.

 

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• Sensory Parity while Reducing Sodium –The level of salty flavor achieved within a food application based on varying levels of salt added is measured to determine parity or perceived equivalence.
  • Because Alberger® Fine Flake Salt has a greater surface area and higher adherence rate, taste parity can be achieved when using less salt compared to standard granulated table salt.
  • Additionally, because Alberger® Fine Flake Salt has a faster solubility rate than standard granulated table salt, Alberger® Fine Flake will dissolve more quickly on the tongue, creating a quick burst of flavor and increased saltiness perception even though less salt may be used.⁴

Consumer sensory testing demonstrates that Alberger® Fine Flake Salt delivers the same flavor as standard granulated salt – using 75% less product and with a 30% reduction in sodium.⁴

 

Measuring Sensory Effects when Reducing Sodium in French Fries
Salt Type	Amount of Salt Used (g)a	Amount of Sodium per 100g of Fries (mg)	Overall Flavorb	Overall Likingb
Standard Granulated Salt	13.8	234.0	7.4	7.4
Alberger® Fine Flake Salt	3.4	150.1	7.5	7.5

 

Cargill Sensory Research, 2013.

^a Amount of salt (g) applied post frying per 1.5 lbs of frozen fries

^b 9-point Hedonic scale (1= Dislike Extremely, 9=Like Extremely)

           *Testing completed by Cargill on specific applications. Results may vary.

 

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• Sodium Reduction with No Label Change – For food manufacturers who want to lower sodium levels in foods without changing the ingredient declaration, Alberger® Fine Flake Salt may be the solution.
  • Alberger® Fine Flake Salt is just that—salt—with an average purity level of 99.86% sodium chloride.
  • Using a pure ingredient that helps reduce sodium is especially attractive to food manufacturers who want to appeal to consumers who desire foods with less sodium and only “familiar” ingredients on package labels.⁵

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Alberger® Fine Flake Salt is also available in a wide range of grades and screen sizes, with a variety of anti-caking or flow agents, or additive-free. Whatever the need may be, Alberger® Fine Flake Salt has proven to deliver superior performance.

To learn more and to review our complete line of Alberger® Fine Flake Salt, visit our website or call 1-888-385-SALT. For a simple, dependable, and flexible order process, become a member of CargillSaltStore.com!

 

Sources:

1. Cargill Proprietary Research. Study Summary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCwU7dxQ27k&feature=youtu.be
2. Cargill Proprietary Research. Study Summary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcypXpLgRkg&feature=youtu.be
3. Cargill Proprietary Research. Study Summary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-E1Vyhcmww&feature=youtu.be
4. Cargill Proprietary Research. Study Summary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U_V-I5Nu0w&feature=youtu.be
5. Cargill Proprietary Research – IngredienTracker™, Wave 4