Principle 22: Cut the Salt; Rethink Flavor Development From the Ground Up

The foodservice and food- manufacturing sectors have long been too reliant on salt to do the heavy lifting to create high flavor impact and customer satisfaction. Single items, such as a sandwich or entrée, might contain more than 2,500 milligrams of sodium, well above the current maximum recommended intake of 1,500 milligrams to 2,300 milligrams for the entire day.

Chefs should focus on a range of other strategies to deliver flavor, including: sourcing the best- quality, highest-flavor produce; working with spices, herbs, citrus, and other aromatics; and employing healthy sauces, seasonings, and other flavor-building techniques from around the world. Many chefs are finding success in focusing their innovation where they have the highest aggregation of sodium (e.g., processed meats, cheese, and bread) in a single menu item.

Others are making progress in implementing an across-the-board incremental 10 to 20 percent sodium reduction in their preparations. Still others are focusing on collaborating with manufacturing partners to reduce sodium by using alternative strategies to create desired flavors and textures.