Evaluation of Potassium Chloride as a Salt Substitute in Bread

Breads made with white flour and a mixture of wheat and white flours were commercially prepared using three different levels of NaCl and a 1:1 mixture of NaCl/KCl. The Na and K content was determined by flame photometry on the dry ash. The 0.75% NaCl and 1.0% KCl/NaCl treatments for both white and wheat breads were judged equally desirable. The Na:K ratios of the 0.75% NaCl and 1% NaCl/KCl white breads are 7.00 and 1.20 respectively. The Na:K ratios for the 0.75% NaCl and 1% NaCl/KCl wheat breads are 3.29 and 0.91 respectively. Breads containing 1.00% of a 1:1 mixture of NaCl and KCl are not significantly different in flavor than breads containing 0.75% NaCl but the KCl containing product has a much lower Na:K ratio.