Burger produced with low-cost technology has 50% less sodium

Researchers discovered that the use of very fine powdered salt and ultrasound reduced the amount of sodium in burgers by half without impacting the quality of the product. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the technologies are low-cost and easily applicable, allowing the production of healthier and more attractive food for the consumer.

The analysis by the “Luiz de Queiroz” School of Agriculture, the University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP) and partner universities, is described in an article published on Friday (22) in the scientific journal “Scientia Agricola”.

The objective was to reduce sodium while maintaining characteristics of the burgers currently sold, including their texture. To do this, the researchers compared ten different combinations, with three concentrations of 0.75%, 1% and 1.5% sodium in micronized salt, a type of very fine powdered salt, and ultrasound times, from five to ten minutes. Burgers manufactured by the industry have a standard concentration of 2% to 1.5% sodium and do not use ultrasound in their production process.

Chimenes Darlan Leal Araújo, co-author of the study and researcher at USP, explains that “there is a great demand for reducing sodium in food, as excessive consumption has a direct relationship with cardiovascular diseases”. One recent research shows that ultra-processed meats represent 20 to 30% of the world's daily sodium consumption. Reducing the mineral content in products such as salami, mortadella and hamburgers, according to the researcher, would be of great importance to public health, although it is not an easy task.

“We already knew that the burger would lose very important characteristics with the reduction in sodium content”, comments Araújo. The mineral influences the texture and also increases the shelf life of the product. “These functions even affect food safety, because sodium prevents the development of microorganisms, in addition to having unparalleled importance for flavor,” he reports. By helping to extract some types of proteins and retain water molecules, sodium also makes the meat juicier.

Even so, the use of technologies in the experiment allowed us to maintain some characteristics of the product, such as color and texture, even reducing the percentage of sodium. They also have the advantage of being ecological, not releasing waste into the environment. “Even though ultrasound is not currently applicable in industry, micronization technology is extremely cheap and can be done using a sieve, for example. It’s a big step forward, because I will have a product with 50% less sodium, but with characteristics closer to a commercial burger”, concludes Araújo.