Effects of sodium substitution with potassium in brines for packing natural black olives of the criolla cultivar

The high global sodium consumption presents a significant challenge to public health. In response to this issue, the olive industry has been trying to use substitutes with lower sodium content for the production of table olives. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of five mixtures of NaCl and KCl salts (40/60, 30/70, 70/30, 50/50, and 60/40 respectively), compared to a reference treatment containing only NaCl, and to analyze both sensory perception and physicochemical and microbiological parameters. The results did not reveal any statistically significant differences in sensory profiles (p-value = 0.4226), indicating that the partial substitution of NaCl with KCl does not negatively affect the sensory attributes of olives. These findings were supported by physicochemical and microbiological analyses that met the parameters and standards established by current regulations. Therefore, potassium chloride could be a viable substitute for sodium content reduction without compromising the quality and preservation of the product.