Crystal Morphology for Sodium Reduction

Abstract

A novel salt composition and a corresponding method of manufacture are described herein. The salt composition is formed from a plurality of salt crystals with a surface area of at least 0.19-0.23 m 2 /g and a Hall density of less than 0.8 g/cm 3 . In some embodiments, at least a portion of the salt composition has a hopper cube morphology.

1 . A salt composition comprising a plurality of salt crystals with a first portion having a mature hopper cube morphology and a second portion having a morphology other than a mature hopper cube morphology. 
     
     
         2 . The salt composition of  claim 1  wherein the second portion has a morphology selected from a simple hopper cube morphology, a hollow cube morphology, a solid cube morphology, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The salt composition of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of salt crystals further comprises a bulk density of less than 0.90 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         4 . The salt composition of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of salt crystals is at least 10 μm in size. 
     
     
         5 . The salt composition of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of salt crystals in the first portion are between 80-150 μm in size. 
     
     
         6 . The salt composition of  claim 5 , wherein the second portion has a simple hopper cube morphology and the plurality of salt crystals further comprises a third portion having a hollow cube morphology, and a fourth portion having a solid cube morphology. 
     
     
         7 . The salt composition of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of salt crystals in the second portion are between 50-100 μm in size, wherein the plurality of salt crystals in the third portion are between 30-50 μm in size, wherein the plurality of salt crystals in the fourth portion are between 15-25 μm in size. 
     
     
         8 . The salt composition of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of salt crystals further comprises a fifth portion having a complex hopper cube morphology. 
     
     
         9 . A method for forming a salt composition, the method comprising:
 providing an antisolvent solution;   adding a salt solution to the antisolvent solution to form a supersaturated solution, wherein the salt solution has a concentration greater than 15 wt % solute, and wherein the mass ratio of the salt solution to antisolvent solution is in the range of 1:20 to 1:1.25; and   crystallizing the supersaturated solution to form the salt composition with a plurality of salt crystals with a first portion having a mature hopper cube morphology and a second portion having a morphology other than a mature hopper cube morphology.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the salt solution comprises a solute dissolved in a solvent, and wherein the salt solution is less than 27 wt % of the solute. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the solute comprises sodium chloride and the solvent comprises water. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the antisolvent is ethanol. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the antisolvent is less than 100 vol % ethanol. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein steps of the method are carried out at a temperature between 20-30° C. 
     
     
         15 . A food product comprising an outer surface; and a salt composition applied to the outer surface of the food product, wherein the salt composition comprises a plurality of salt crystals with a first portion having a mature hopper cube morphology and a second portion having a morphology other than a mature hopper cube morphology. 
     
     
         16 . The food product of  claim 15  wherein the second portion has a morphology selected from a simple hopper cube morphology, a hollow cube morphology, a solid cube morphology, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The food product of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of salt crystals is at least 10 μm in size. 
     
     
         18 . The food product of  claim 15 , wherein the second portion has a simple hopper cube morphology and the plurality of salt crystals further comprises a third portion having a hollow cube morphology, and a fourth portion having a solid cube morphology.