May 5, 2010

Good Salt

In response to the Food and Drug Administration's thoughts of regulating the amount of sodium food manufacturers can include in consumer goods, Frito-Lay is redesigning the salt molecule to make it healthier.

The salt crystals on potato chips only dissolve about 20 percent of the way on the tongue, while the center of each tiny cube-shaped crystal remains intact until after it's swallowed. Thus, most of the salt you're eating on your chips is not contributing to the taste of the chip, but it is dissolving further down your digestive tract.

The redesigned salt crystal, with more surface area, should dissolve completely on the tongue, so chips should just as salty with less salt. If they come after bacon, there will be a civil war.