Dual regulation of sensory quality and safety in roast beef patties using novel flavor-enhanced salt complexes.

This study developed spray-dried flavor-enhanced salt complexes (FESCs) by co-structuring NaCl with monosodium glutamate (MSG) or disodium 5'-inosinate/disodium 5'-guanylate (IMP/GMP), and evaluated their performance in roasted beef patties. Compared with commercial NaCl, FESCs displayed spherical/porous microstructures, retained NaCl crystallinity, higher specific surface areas (523.4-713.1 vs. 82.23 m2/kg), and slightly lower deliquescence points. FESC-MSG and FESC-IMP/GMP reduced added NaCl equivalents by 13-22%, while ICP-OES confirmed formulation-dependent changes in total sodium. Consumer hedonic scores were not significantly affected, whereas human saltiness ranking and electronic-tongue analysis indicated partial compensation for reduced NaCl equivalents, reflecting combined particle-structure effects and umami-salt interactions. FESC-containing patties also showed lower levels of selected heat-induced contaminants, especially Harman/Norharman and CML. In vitro hydroxyl-radical scavenging by MSG and IMP/GMP provided supportive, but not definitive, mechanistic evidence. These findings support microstructured NaCl-umami complexes as a promising strategy for balancing saltiness perception and selected safety markers.