1st June, 2010
Salt
This article in the New York Times on the use of salt in processed foods is both enlightening (yes, really) and totally shocking (no, not really) and pretty much confirms what I’ve suspected for a while: food manufacturers have to heavily salt their food because it tastes like crap otherwise.
As a demonstration, Kellogg prepared some of its biggest sellers with most of the salt removed. The Cheez-It fell apart in surprising ways. The golden yellow hue faded. The crackers became sticky when chewed, and the mash packed onto the teeth. The taste was not merely bland but medicinal.
[...]
They moved on to Corn Flakes. Without salt the cereal tasted metallic. The Eggo waffles evoked stale straw. The butter flavor in the Keebler Light Buttery Crackers, which have no actual butter, simply disappeared.
The real kicker for me was the following information. The salt is there so companies can maximize profits by selling cheap, poor quality food. Mmm, mmm, good!
Making deep cuts in salt can require more expensive ingredients that can hurt sales. Companies that make low-salt pasta sauces improve the taste with vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh herbs that cost more than dried spices and lower grade tomatoes.
You mean to tell me that foods that are fresh and actually picked at times of ripeness taste good all by themselves??? Madness.
Posted at 5:04 am | Comments (3)
On June 1, 2010 at 22:17 Will R said:
June 1, 2010 at 22:17
Hey! I was hoping to discuss literature at a greater extent, only I don’t want to flood your blog with inane banter. I’d like to get your e-mail if it’s possible!
On June 1, 2010 at 22:19 Will R said:
June 1, 2010 at 22:19
Also, +1 for truth about sodium in the American diet!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28salt.html
On June 22, 2010 at 5:17 Gog said:
June 22, 2010 at 5:17
Huh, for some reason, both your comments were stuck in pending status and I was never notified of it… XD