---
title: "Sugar Reduction Products Are Increasingly Competitive; How Long Will the Salt Reduction Track Stay 'Flat'?"
description: "While sugar reduction has become a pervasive trend in the food industry, salt reduction remains relatively overlooked despite high consumer awareness. This article explores why salt reduction hasn't gained the same momentum, the challenges it faces, and potential strategies for brands to capitalize on this emerging opportunity."
author: "FBIF"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
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published: "2021-06-22"
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# Sugar Reduction Products Are Increasingly Competitive; How Long Will the Salt Reduction Track Stay 'Flat'?

> While sugar reduction has become a pervasive trend in the food industry, salt reduction remains relatively overlooked despite high consumer awareness. This article explores why salt reduction hasn't gained the same momentum, the challenges it faces, and potential strategies for brands to capitalize on this emerging opportunity.

What sugar-reduction products come to mind? Genki Forest sparkling water, which pushed "0 sugar" into the spotlight, and Jane's 0-sucrose yogurt, known for its pure and additive-free appeal...
(Genki Forest sparkling water and Ran tea)
"Sugar reduction" seems to have permeated our lives. But when it comes to salt reduction, can you immediately think of any products?
Is it that consumers are completely indifferent to salt reduction? According to a report by Mintel, that doesn't seem to be the case.
The report shows that as many as 94% of Chinese urban consumers have tried to reduce their salt intake. 55% use less salt when cooking, and over a third reduce their use of MSG and soy sauce. Additionally, 38% consume fewer processed foods like instant noodles, sausages, and chips to cut salt.
Since some consumers are already taking action on salt reduction, should brands respond to this demand by launching salt-reduction product lines?
We've found that major players have actually entered the scene early. As early as 2017, Kraft Heinz launched Heinz ketchup with 50% less salt and sugar. PepsiCo also introduced reduced-salt original and barbecue flavored chips, with sodium content reduced by 50%.
(Reduced-salt original (left) and barbecue (right) Lay's chips)
In addition to food giants entering early, we see national-level initiatives promoting salt reduction. The State Council's "National Nutrition Plan (2017-2030)" sets a target to reduce average daily salt intake per capita by 20% by 2030. In 2018, China also released the "China Food Industry Salt Reduction Guide" to help achieve this goal.
But why has the sugar reduction concept been rapidly promoted, while the salt reduction track has remained "flat" and hasn't formed a hot market?
**Why hasn't "salt reduction" taken off like "sugar reduction"?**
"I'm skipping afternoon tea today; I'm controlling sugar in my diet." "Look at how much sugar is in this snack's ingredient list; let's not buy it."
**Suddenly, it seems everyone can talk about "sugar reduction."** Various low-sugar snack recommendations and sugar-control recipes flood social platforms like Xiaohongshu and Weibo.
In contrast, the current salt reduction track has no "internet-famous" products, and consumers remain "calm." But looking at the explosion of the sugar reduction market, it also had a growth process. We can gain insights from how sugar reduction brands gradually captured consumers to promote salt reduction categories.
Since "sweet food brings happiness," why do consumers need to reduce sugar? So brands focusing on "sugar reduction" take the first step: **helping consumers increase their awareness of sugar**. Various health cases of sugar-reduction diets and the popularization of nutritional health knowledge have made consumers gradually realize that excessive sugar intake can easily lead to health problems like obesity and diabetes.
Therefore, **brands began offering more and more sugar-reduction options to consumers.** Now, when consumers want to drink "happy water" (soda), they can choose Genki Forest sparkling water; when they want yogurt but fear that 13g/100ml carbs make fitness harder, Jane's 0-sucrose yogurt can solve the concern; when they want dessert but worry about gaining weight, they can choose the healthy light-food brand "Qingshishou."
(Qingshishou product series)
Since then, under the general health trend, brands have begun to permeate the concept of sugar reduction into daily life. Categories like snacks, dairy, and beverages have all put on "sugar reduction" labels, and more brands are even creating "0 sugar" products to differentiate from "less sugar" and "reduced sugar."
Furthermore, Japanese brands entering the Chinese market have brought new development ideas to the "sugar reduction" industry. In 2017, POLA launched "anti-glycation pills," introducing the concept of "anti-glycation" to the market.
The brand stated that the reaction between sugar and protein produces **advanced glycation end products (AGEs)**, which affect the normal function of proteins, reduce the chance of protein metabolism, affect DNA function, and cause skin aging. The principle of anti-glycation is to prevent the glycation reaction between sugar and protein.
(POLA "anti-glycation pills")
Brands discuss "anti-glycation" and "anti-aging" together, attracting attention from many beauty-conscious consumers. "Anti-glycation pills" and "anti-glycation drinks" quickly became the hottest products in cross-border shopping and daigou channels.
But compared to sugar reduction, the health benefits of salt reduction have not been emphasized.
Although the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that adults consume no more than 6 grams of salt per day, consumers have no concept of this target. What benefits would achieving the 6-gram daily salt intake bring?
Reducing excessive salt intake can lower the burden on the heart and kidneys and reduce the likelihood of high blood pressure.
UK statistics show that if everyone consumed only 6 grams of salt per day, it would prevent over 8,000 premature deaths annually in the UK and save the National Health Service (NHS) over £570 million each year.
Knowing the importance of salt reduction, **how can consumers be made aware that a product has reduced salt?**
In the sugar reduction track, as more companies enter, product packaging labels have become standardized, indicating sugar content. Additionally, sugar-reduction products often **quantify their sugar content** in marketing.
Some brands even indicate the equivalent number of sugar cubes reduced. Salt-reduction brands could consider using this method to let consumers directly perceive that they are indeed reducing salt intake.
For example, China's recommended daily salt intake is 6 grams, which is about one teaspoon.
(A teaspoon of salt)
Brands could compare the salt content in their products to the daily intake, giving consumers a more intuitive sense of salt reduction.
**Salt reduction is imperative, but how can it reach the masses?**
Since "too much salt is harmful," what difficulties does salt reduction face in development? What opportunities and challenges exist?
**1. Salt reduction lacks "immediate effects"**
Compared to sugar's negative effects on appearance, salt does not show the harm of excessive intake in the short term.
Sugar is a source of energy for the body, so excessive sugar intake in the short term can lead to obesity and obesity-related diseases. **If you eat less sugar, you may feel changes in your skin and body within a few weeks.**
However, diseases related to salt reduction mainly increase the burden on the heart and kidneys, inducing high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. **If you stick to a low-salt diet, consumers may need more than a decade to feel changes.**
Young consumers might think, "What does salt reduction have to do with us? Since high blood pressure only appears in our 40s, eating more salt now shouldn't matter."
**2. Salt-reduction products may not achieve expected results**
Besides the lack of short-term effects, salt-reduction products can easily lose their purpose if overconsumed.
Some consumers say they might normally use one spoon of regular soy sauce, but find reduced-salt soy sauce too bland and add three or four spoons. The reduced-salt soy sauce then loses its meaning.
This situation also occurs with actual intake of sugar-reduction products. After the sugar-reduction trend emerged, many large healthy breads appeared, requiring one to be divided into eight portions. But some consumers can finish a whole one in one meal and complain on social platforms that they've eaten bread for a long time without losing weight.
To address this, some sugar-reduction brands label the serving size. This **can prevent overconsumption and weaken the product's actual effect.** Salt-reduction brands can also focus on giving consumers more practical application guidance when developing products.
(Lee Kum Kee launches thin salt soy sauce)
Brands also have very strict requirements when labeling low salt. According to national standards, food with sodium content less than or equal to 120 mg per 100g or 100ml can be called low-sodium or low-salt food. This means some products, even if not salty, still cannot be labeled low salt.
Some brands also told us that because their raw materials include seafood, which naturally contains salt, it's harder to reduce the salt content during processing.
**3. Creating salt-reduction products is both a challenge and an opportunity**
Since salt reduction has difficulties in practical application and product manufacturing, why should it still be promoted?
Salt, like sugar, is a potential crisis for some brands. For example, sugar is an important ingredient in cola, but with the increasing awareness of added sugar's harms, more consumers are choosing sugar-free drinks. Consumer choices are driving brands to make reduced-sugar beverages.
In fact, as consumption habits change, this could bring higher returns. This year, Coca-Cola CEO Quincey said that Coke Zero would be the company's biggest growth product in 2021.
(Coca-Cola launches Coke Zero)
Nestlé has recently been committed to transforming into a health food company, cutting unhealthy product lines like candy, and acquiring major stakes in Atrium Innovations, the largest natural dietary supplement company in the US, and Vital Proteins, a collagen supplement company. In April this year, Nestlé announced a $5.75 billion acquisition of nutritional product manufacturer Bountiful.
Similarly, for food companies, **the earlier they propose the concept of salt reduction, the more advantageous it is.** As brands popularize salt reduction and consumers pay more attention to health, they may stop eating high-salt products, and in the future, brands will have to reduce salt.
**4. Practical application of salt-reduction technology**
**Under the trend of salt reduction being imperative, some brands have already applied salt-reduction technology to products.**
For example, consumers generally perceive salt reduction as directly reducing salt addition, leading to blander food. This **conflicts somewhat with current eating habits.**
So, is there a way to reduce salt without reducing saltiness?
Liuyuexian has launched light-salt kelp soy sauce and light-salt oyster soy sauce, using ingredients like oyster and kelp to enhance saltiness, helping consumers transition smoothly from regular soy sauce to low-salt products.
(Liuyuexian light-salt original juice soy sauce)
Under the general health trend, more brands will plan salt-reduction categories in advance, driving consumption toward healthier upgrades.
**Under new solutions, can a "dark horse" emerge in the salt-reduction track?**
Observing the market, it's not hard to find that existing "salt-reduction products" are mainly concentrated in condiments like soy sauce and sauces. But these products can only be used in households that cook, and their usage frequency is limited. In higher-frequency food and beverage scenarios like takeout and snacks, salt-reduction ideas are rarely applied.
So, how can the salt-reduction track seize new solutions and give birth to a "hit product" brand like Genki Forest in the future?
**1. Seize China's salty snack market**
Guess how many salty snacks China launches in a year?
According to Mintel data, Asia leads four-fifths of global salty snack innovation. The number of new salty snack products launched in China ranked first globally in 2018.
(Salty snack new product launches)
The popularity of brands like Three Squirrels and Be & Cheery also shows that various leisure braised products, puffed foods, roasted seeds, and preserved fruits are favored by many consumers. Salty snacks still occupy a large part of Chinese consumers' eating habits.
So, how high is the salt content in salty snacks?
According to USDA data, 6 grams of salt contains about 2360 mg of sodium. However, a 140-gram bag of chips contains about 740 mg of sodium, exceeding 30% of the recommended daily salt intake. Therefore, salty snacks can become a major market for salt reduction. Brands can reduce salt content in snacks to help consumers gradually develop salt-reduction habits.
For example, COSTCO in the US sells both salted and unsalted nuts to give consumers more choices. Similarly, some domestic brands have begun creating salt-free snacks.
(COSTCO's Kirkland brand launches unsalted nuts)
Additionally, healthy snacks can be a direction for salt reduction. Consumers who buy healthy snacks have a higher awareness and understanding of health, making them more receptive to the concept of salt reduction. Interestingly, many products are not obviously salty but still cannot meet low-salt standards.
In this regard, FBIF interviewed several healthy food brands. The founders told FBIF that health-focused snacks already minimize salt content in the process, but because some raw materials like seafood naturally contain salt, it's not easy to reduce salt in the final product.
These brands also told us that in the future, they will consider changing raw material formulas and applying new salt-reduction technologies to promote the upgrade of healthy products in salt reduction.
**2. Launch new salt-reduction solutions**
With less than a decade until 2030, how can brands provide new solutions to help consumers achieve salt-reduction goals?
There are already more new salt-reduction solutions, such as flavor enhancers that reduce salt without reducing flavor, which have been applied to food.
Angel Yeast launched a yeast extract solution for salt reduction without flavor loss in 2017. The company uses yeast strain selection, efficient fermentation, and compound enzymatic hydrolysis to achieve salt reduction and flavor enhancement. Besides reduced-salt soy sauce, Angel's salt-reducing and flavor-enhancing yeast extract has been applied to instant noodles, pickled vegetables, leisure puffed foods, meat products, and other food fields.
Furthermore, the intuitive experience of taste is also key to judging saltiness. Some companies change the physical structure of salt to increase consumers' dense experience of saltiness, ensuring a more natural transition from high-salt diets.
(Cargill's salt crystals are micronized and micro-flaky, left)
Cargill launched Diamond Crystal salt based on this idea. Compared to the smooth surface of regular salt crystals, this product has an uneven surface with many cracks and protrusions, which helps it adhere better to fried food surfaces.
Cargill says that using this salt can reduce sodium content by 30% in the same french fries and reduce usage by 75% compared to regular salt.
**3. Amplify the promotional highlights of salt reduction**
Currently, some food and snack categories can strengthen their product's distinctive features. However, when communicating, they don't use this as the main selling point.
Many people think salt reduction is an important dietary change mainly for middle-aged people to prevent high blood pressure. But is it really irrelevant to young people?
In fact, for children and toddlers, their salt intake standards are stricter than for adults. Since children's bodies are not fully developed, they need more control over salt to avoid excessive burden.
(Dr. Cheese small round cheese)
For example, Dr. Cheese has launched low-salt, high-calcium cheese that contains no sodium chloride in its ingredients. It emphasizes its low-salt formula in marketing, creating a "calcium-to-sodium ratio" concept to compare low sodium with high calcium, giving potential consumers a more intuitive feel.
The healthy snack brand Shiyanshi launched "Deep Sea Tuna Crisps" in June 2020, with a protein content of 59% and 99 calories per bag, equivalent to the calories of an apple. The product quickly reached monthly sales of 1.2 million yuan and became an "internet-famous product."
Can this healthy snack be even healthier? Shiyanshi also made a reduced-salt version for children. In the children's fish crisps, Shiyanshi created three flavors: tomato, seaweed, and cherry shrimp, none of which add table salt.
(Tomato and seaweed children's fish crisps)
As young parents pay more attention to children's food ingredients and nutritional health, the children's food market may become a major direction for promoting "salt reduction."
In the already highly competitive sugar-reduction market, many brands continue to launch "0 sugar" and "low sugar" products to capture consumer attention. Although salt reduction hasn't yet taken off, given national promotion, increasing consumer health awareness, and technological innovation in food, salt reduction is imperative. We look forward to more companies entering the salt-reduction track in the future, stirring up a "salt reduction" trend.
_-END-_
Source: FBIF Food & Beverage Innovation (ID: FoodInnovation) Author: Riri
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