Research Progress on Sodium Reduction Strategies for Meat Products

Sodium chloride (NaCl) serves multiple functions in meat product processing, including flavor enhancement, preservation, and texture regulation. However, excessive sodium intake significantly increases the risks of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and gastric cancer. Globally, sodium intake among the general population consistently exceeds the daily upper limit recommended by the World Health Organization (less than 2000 mg sodium per day, equivalent to <5 g salt per day). In certain regions, processed meat products are an important source of dietary sodium intake. Consequently, the development of low-sodium meat products has emerged as a critical priority in both the food industry and public health. This review reviews and summarizes the multifunctional roles of sodium chloride in meat products and the underlying mechanisms of these functions, and evaluates mainstream sodium reduction strategies, namely direct sodium reduction, physical modification, salt substitutes, flavor enhancement, odor-induced saltiness enhancement (OISE), and non-thermal processing. The analysis indicates that individual strategies exhibit limitations in terms of sensory quality, safety, or cost. Future efforts should focus on achieving effective sodium reduction through the synergistic application of multiple strategies, without compromising product quality or safety. This review further proposes a product-type-oriented strategy matrix, and multi-strategy synergy combined with AI optimization which is put forward as a promising potential pathway for the industrialization of sodium reduction in meat products, which remains to be validated by further research.