Processed foods are notoriously high in sodium and, unless fortified, low in other essential minerals such as potassium, but can anything be done to restore the balance? The key to gaining healthier
products is to increase potassium and reduce sodium in chemically leavened baked goods.
By Michelle Briggs, head of Technical, Kudos Blends
How can potassium levels in diets be increased?
Potassium is one of the many minerals that modern day diets are deficient in. If the increase in
consumption of convenience food continues, the recommended intake of potassium will not be met.
In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a guideline report on potassium intake for
adults and children, highlighting that potassium deficiency is a global issue.
Can potassium realistically replace sodium?
Potassium bicarbonate can be used to replace sodium bicarbonate but, historically, there has been a
reluctance to use potassium bicarbonate, particularly in the baking industry. This is because it was
not as functional as sodium bicarbonate. In order to react and provide carbon dioxide gas, it needs
to fully dissolve. This can be difficult if the inherent particle size is too large. Early work by Kudos
Blends with granular material showed that, unless the particle size of potassium bicarbonate was
suitably fine, the product would not dissolve. This led to unattractive dark spots in the crumb in both
cake and dough products.
Specific solution for bakery
By reducing the particle size of potassium bicarbonate, these issues can be overcome. However, the
intrinsically hygroscopic nature of the product is exacerbated as the surface area is increased,
leading to product degradation if exposed to moisture. During storage, microfine potassium
bicarbonate can form solid lumps, which reduces functionality and causes handling issues. To
overcome this problem, Kudos Blends has developed bakery specific, patent pending grades of
potassium bicarbonate.