Sodium Gluconate

In the food industry, sodium gluconate is used as a food additive to impart a sour taste, enhance flavor, prevent protein denaturation, improve undesirable bitterness and astringency, and serve as a salt substitute to produce low-sodium or sodium-free foods.

Currently, as a high-performance food additive, sodium gluconate is widely utilized in food processing. It is also extensively applied in nutritional supplements, food preservatives, quality improvers, and buffers. Based on its different functions in food, it can be categorized as follows:

1.     pH Regulation and Acidity Masking
Sodium gluconate adjusts the pH in systems containing citric and malic acids, effectively reducing sourness without introducing an overly salty taste. This indicates its significant ability to suppress the acidity of citric and malic acids even at relatively high acid levels. In the food industry, it is widely used in the beverage sector to ensure product quality. It also protects beverage components from damage caused by high temperatures during conventional sterilization methods, thereby saving energy.

2.     Salt Replacement for Sodium Reduction
Studies show that the sodium content per unit of common salt is about four times that of sodium gluconate, with sodium gluconate having a sodium molecular weight of only 10.5%. Compared to commonly used low-sodium salts, sodium gluconate offers a similar taste profile but with the advantages of being non-irritating and free from bitterness and astringency. In practical applications, it has become a viable salt substitute, currently used mainly in food areas such as sodium-free products and bread. Research reports that using sodium gluconate instead of salt in bread fermentation not only allows for the production of low-sodium bread but also achieves salt reduction without compromising its overall flavor or shelf life.

3.     Flavor Improvement and Off-Taste Suppression
In the food industry, flavor is a critical indicator in sensory evaluation. Recent studies have found that sodium gluconate can improve bitterness. Sodium gluconate salts can inhibit the bitterness of bitter compounds and their binary combinations to varying degrees. Applying different doses of sodium gluconate salts, as well as zinc lactate salts, to caffeine has been found to suppress its bitterness. These findings indicate that sodium gluconate has a modulating effect on bitter-tasting flavor substances. Furthermore, reports suggest that adding a certain amount of sodium gluconate during meat product processing can effectively reduce the beany off-flavor in soybean products. Research has also found that in seafood processing, adding a certain amount of sodium gluconate can reduce fishy odors, enhance the appeal of the food, and is more cost-effective compared to traditional masking methods.

4.     Quality and Nutritional Enhancement

With the continuous improvement of living standards, people's demands for food are increasing. As a novel food additive, sodium gluconate not only improves food flavor but also enhances nutritional properties. Soaking kelp in sodium gluconate solution can increase its alginate content, resulting in a softer texture and improved mouthfeel. Sodium gluconate also exhibits protein denaturation inhibition and myofibrillar protein solubilization effects. Adding sodium gluconate to surimi significantly increases the gel strength of the heated gel compared to surimi without it, thereby improving the quality of surimi products.