Components Associated With Saltiness Potentiation in Frankfurters Made With Traditionally Brewed Soy Sauce

Salt is a critical ingredient in processed meat and poultry products because of its multiple functions that affect product quality and safety. Although salt is a functional ingredient in food products, sodium reduction continues to be an important topic within the food industry due to interests in reducing dietary sodium intake. Previous work has shown that soy sauce addition may potentiate saltiness perception in processed meats and thus allow for novel formulations with reduced sodium content. Two studies were conducted to further elucidate these effects. First, trained panel sensory char- acteristics, relevant quality parameters, and selected chemical profiles were determined comparing frankfurters containing flake salt and traditionally brewed soy sauce. Seven aqueous compounds were found to be more abundant (P < 0.001) in the soy sauce – containing treatment, and 56 volatile compounds were identified. Principal component analysis of the sensory and selected chemical profiles led to the consideration that ethyl hexanoate (EHEX) may be a causative agent of the saltiness-potentiating phenomenon. Thus, a second study further evaluated concentrations of EHEX, revealing that trained sensory panelists perceived frankfurters containing EHEX as saltier (P < 0.05) and these frankfurters had higher scores for fermented/sour aromatic score (P < 0.05) than the control (Control: 100% NaCl from flake salt). This research demon- strated the ability of EHEX to potentiate saltiness in frankfurters with minimal effects on quality.