Heartful Flavors is on a mission to reduce sodium levels with an innovative line of Asian staples

Food startup Heartful Flavours offers salt-free sauce powders in packets that replicate favourite Asian dishes without compromising on taste.

Asian cuisine is unique because of its condiments and sauces. However, pantry staples such as soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce are high in sodium.

In 2023, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the global average sodium intake for adults was 4,310 mg/day, or 10.78 g/day of salt. This is more than double the WHO recommendation of less than 2,000 mg/day of sodium, or less than 5 g/day of salt, meaning that a tablespoon of soy sauce would already be half of the recommended daily intake.

“Excess sodium intake is responsible for 1.9 million deaths and 45 million disability-adjusted life years each year. Our Heartful Flavours products, with a 5 Star Australian Health Rating (5 Star being the highest rating), a first in the basic meal seasoning category, and nutritionally balanced recipes on the back of pack, are the perfect solution to help health-conscious consumers eliminate excess sodium intake, support heart health and preserve their life expectancy,”​ said Rebecca Luong, co-founder of Heartful Flavors.

“I haven’t found a solution on the market yet. Even if you take a low-sodium soy sauce, it still has some 1,000 mg per 100 grams. Our product has less than 120 mg per 100 grams. There’s a very big difference.”​

Tasty without sodium ​

A registered dietitian with a doctorate in heart and metabolic health, Luong explained that sodium occurs naturally in many types of foods, so our bodies don’t need extra salt in the form of seasonings like sauces and condiments. She also said it only takes one to four weeks for our taste buds to become conditioned to accept less salty foods.

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