Abstract：With the development of society and changes in lifestyle, excess salt intake has become a serious hidden danger affecting human health, and reducing sodium intake has become a global consensus. One of the main measures to reduce salt in foods is to reduce salt use, and meat products have become the main object of salt reduction. Currently the following methods are available for reducing salt in meat products: 1) directly reducing the amount of salt added and improving the processing technology, or optimize the physical form of salt to reduce salt and simultaneously maintain the original saltiness as much as possible; 2) applying non-sodium salts such as potassium chloride to replace sodium chloride as a flavor and texture improver; 3) using plant extracts, flavor enhancers or masking agents to replace salt as a flavor improver, aroma enhancer and antioxidant agent; 4) using emerging physical technologies to make up for the possible technological or functional characteristics caused by salt reduction. In view of the important role salt plays in maintaining the quality and safety of food, and particularly in meat products, its functions such as seasoning, aroma enhancement, water retention, color assistance, bacteriostasis, and preservatives, safer and cheaper alternatives to salt have not been found. As single salt reduction cannot meet the production requirements of low-sodium meat products, hurdle technology, which was developed several years ago as a new concept for the production of safe, stable, nutritious, tasty, and economical foods, will be an effective approach to reducing salt. In this paper, the recent development of key technologies for salt reduction in meat processing is briefly reviewed, and possible future applications are discussed.
2022, Vol. 36 
