KCl - is anybody fooled?

[jim_p]

After gasping at the sodium content of the instant-noodle-bowl I'm having for lunch, I got to thinking about the "low-sodium" products that are on the market. Apparently quite a few of them don't bother reformulating their flavor profile to require less salt... they just substitute potassium chloride for part for part of the salt.

My first exposure to potassium chloride was when I was a teen and my father had congestive heart failure. He was told to cut as much salt as possible out of his diet, so he started using "salt substitute" (KCl). When I tried it, my reaction was "Well yeah, it tastes a bit salty, but it also tastes WRONG!" I really can't describe the taste any other way (slightly bitter? "metallic"?) Whatever it is, I find it distinct and unpleasant. And I'm not fooled, not even in processed foods. I was eating a "healthy choice" canned soup the other day, and I could instantly tell that it contained KCl without even reading the label (squinting at the list of ingredients confirmed this).

So the question I have is, is *anybody* really fooled by KCl? Does it taste enough like salt to other people that it makes a fair substitute? I refuse to use it myself. First of all, I use minimal salt in my cooking anyway unless the chemistry requires it (e.g. bread). If I do have to use less salt than I'd like I'll find other flavors to compensate. I refuse to even let KCl into my kitchen...

Comments

[dianec42.livejournal.com]

Haha, I have no idea. Since I switched over to eating real food instead of processed stuff, the issue has never come up. I'm probably saving money too. :P

Anything that has to say "healthy" on the label... doesn't it make you wonder, at least a little bit?

[frobzwiththingz.livejournal.com]

I imagine there's probably a set of people who like the way it tastes. I'm not one of them.

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

That's what it is! There's a Campbell's "healthy" brand that I cannot stand because of the bitter/metallic taste. Sure enough, potassium chloride. Haven't encountered it in so long I forgot how bad it tastes.

[silar31.livejournal.com]

Metallic, for me (although not nearly as bad since I got my top teeth out, interestingly - I tend to wonder if it reacts with old fillings). And since I am very sensitive to metal tastes, I avoid it. Don says I can tell if food was cooked in the same room as tin foil. :)

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Most people that are "fooled" by it (and I think it's not really fair to say it that way, because it's not like taste buds are smart or stupid) probably won't realize they're being fooled, and thus can't answer the question.

So pretty much your question self-selects for those who don't like the taste of potassium chloride. Perhaps your question would be better stated as "Does anyone eat 'low-sodium' processed products and think they taste OK? If so, can you check the label and see if it uses postassium chloride?"

The "salt substitute" stuff I tasted once tasted like it was almost mildly burning, but that was so long ago I have no idea even what the product was.