Application of Potassium Chloride (KCI) as a Salt Substitute in Dietetic Flat Bread

In recent years, many researchers and food producers have focused on formulation and production of dietetic and healthy foods. Now due to increasing consumer knowledge and enormous patients who should have a special or therapeutic diet, investigation on functional foods becomes a necessity. Concern by consumers over excessive intake of salt in their diets has exerted pressure upon the food processing and baking industry to voluntarily decrease the amount of sodium added to food. The aims of this research were producing dietetic (low salt) flat breads for patients with cardio-vascular disease, hypertension, renal disease, etc.improving public healthand investigating on the effects of using KCI as a partial substitute of table salt on baking, staling, rheological and sensory characteristics of flat bread. 18 different treatments of Lavash bread were produced, including 1) NaCI in three levels (0.5, 1, and 1.5 %), 2) a mixture of NaCI & KCI (l:lw/w) in three levels (0.5, 1, and 1.5%) and different dough resting times in three levels (30, 45 and 60 min). Chemical properties including protein, moisture content, ash and the amount of sodium and potassium in flour, the effects of addition these salts on rheological properties of dough, such as water absorption of flour, dough development time, dough stability, extensibility, resistance to extension, energy, Valorimetry value and bread characteristics were studied. An expert sensory evaluation panel determined the quality of Lavash bread and its shelf life and staling after 0, 24 48 and 72 hours. All treatments and experiments were carried out in three replications. The panel didn't fmd any differences between flavor, odor, and staling properties of commercial and dietetic breads. Commercial breads had 1.08-2.86% ash, 0.09-0.34 ofNa +, 0.09-0.11 % of K+, comparing to dietetic breads which had 1.28-2.14% ash, 0.075-0.16% of Na+ and 0.12-0.27 % of K+. In most cases, type of salt had no significant effect (P0.05) on technical or sensory indices, and effectors were the amount of added salt and resting time. For Lavash bread making (using 0.5-1 % salt substitute), resting time about 45 min was suitable and with continuing to 60 min, quality was decreased. According to the results of this research, from technical and sensory points of view, application of potassium chloride (KCI) as a salt substitute in dietetic low salt flat breads is possible.