This experimental study tested four tempeh-derived powders as flavour-enhancing ingredients in vegetable broths with 20% or 30% sodium reduction. Overripe tempeh powder performed best: the 30%-reduced formulation retained overall liking that was not significantly different from the full-salt control. The evidence concerns a prototype broth and consumer sensory responses, not clinical health outcomes.
Key findings
- Calculated added sodium fell from 314.7 to 251.8 and 220.3 mg/100 mL for the 20% and 30% reductions. Overripe-tempeh formulations had the highest free amino-compound values, 245.6 and 242.2 mg glutamic-acid equivalents/L. Its 20%-reduced broth achieved the highest overall liking among reduced-sodium formulations and exceeded reduced-salt controls, while its 30%-reduced broth was not significantly different from the full-salt control.
Why this matters globally
Maintaining palatability while lowering sodium is central to noncommunicable-disease prevention. The study offers a clean-label route using a fermented-food ingredient, with industrial potential if replicated across products and assessed for stability, safety and cost.
Thai researcher contribution
Researchers from Kasetsart University and Khon Kaen University contributed to developing and evaluating the tempeh-based flavour strategy, highlighting Thai capability in food science and health-oriented product design.
Limitations to consider
The work used laboratory-made tempeh in one broth model. The 282-person panel may not represent all consumers; outcomes were short-term sensory measures, and sodium was calculated from formulation. No long-term intake, blood-pressure or clinical outcomes were measured, so health benefit cannot be inferred.