Why is sodium added to processed foods?
Convenience foods – designed to be quick and easy to transport, store prepare and eat – need stabilizers, preservatives and ingredients to improve taste. Sodium serves these functions. Some common food additives are: monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, and sodium benzoate. Other sodium-containg compounds include sodium caseinate, trisodium phosphate, sodium ascorbate, and sodium stearoyl lactylate.
