title: Applying the Triangle Taste Test to Assess Differences between Low Sodium Salts and Common Salt: Evidence from Peru.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In resourced-constrained settings, daily cooking practices are still the norm. Replacing sodium in regular salt to produce potassium-enriched salts are potential alternative routes to reduce sodium intake, paired with the benefit associated with potassium intake. This change would likely have effects on palatability and taste of prepared foods, yet a threshold to discriminate sensorial changes can be determined. The main goal of this study was to assess if the use of potassium-enriched salt substitutes lead to perceived differences in taste utilizing a sensory discrimination test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A triangle taste test was conducted and participants were offered samples of cooked rice prepared with different salts. The only ingredient that differed in the preparation was the salt used: 100%NaCl (regular salt) and salts where sodium was replaced by 50%, 33% or 25% KCl (potassium-enriched salt). Comparisons were carried out according to the minimum number of correct judgments. A total of 156 subjects, 49% males, mean age 41.0 years (SD±15.5) years, participated in the study. Samples using 25% potassium-enrichment were indistinguishable in terms of taste from regular salt, whereas samples with 33% and 50% potassium-enrichment were distinguishable. Results were consistent when stratified by sex and age. Less than 10% of participants attributed the differences to bitterness or metallic flavor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 25% potassium-enriched salt is indistinguishable from regular salt. These findings suggest a potential to achieve sodium intake reduction strategies in cooking practices by substituting regular salt with potassium-enriched salt without affecting palatability.
authors.affiliation: CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saavedra-Garcia
authors.affiliation: CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernabe-Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; Área de Investigación y Desarrollo, Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gilman
authors.affiliation: CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diez-Canseco
authors.affiliation: CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: María Kathia
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sacksteder
authors.affiliation: CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: J Jaime
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Miranda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003296:Cooking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010568:Peru; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary