219 The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research: (2019)03;(06):219-28 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3592037 Original Article OPEN ACCESS PVR THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH fifal/ty Nutrition a D^oeiopment Priority in Africa Contents lists available at: Journal homepage: https://www.najfnr.org elSSN: 2588-1582 Acceptance of salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers Yasmine GUENNOUN 1 *, Amina BOUZIANI 1 , Habiba BAJIT 1 , Hicham EL BERRI 2 , Laila ELAMMARI 3 , Souad BENAICH 4 , Amina BARKAT 5 , Hasnae BENKIRANE 1 , and Hassan AGUENAOU 1 1 Joint Research Unit in Nutrition and Food. Ibn Tofail Univ. National Center of Energy Sciences and Nuclear Techniques. Rabat. Kenitra, Morocco. 2 World Health Organization -WHO Morocco. 3 Direction of the population, Ministry of Health Morocco. 4 Laboratory of Animal Physiology Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed 5 University, Rabat, Morocco. 5 GANIM, Groupe de Recherche en Nutrition Infantile, Maroc. ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 08 September 2019 Accepted 21 December 2019 Published 12 January 2020 * Corresponding author info: Ms. Yasmine GUENNOUN Email: guennounyasmine@gmail.com Tel. +212 615094721 Access this article online m. Quick Response Code https://doi.ora/10.5281/zenodo.3592037 Article edited by: Pr. Rekia BELAHSEN Dr. Basil ABOUL-ENEIN ABSTRACT Background: The use of cooking salt (sodium chloride) for bread preparation is due to several important sensory and technological properties. Even considered as an essential micronutrient and a salty taste stimulus, a significant dietary sodium intake is positively correlated with high blood pressure levels and some heart diseases. Recently, Morocco has adopted a plan to reduce salt consumption aiming to reinforce the prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and to contribute to the achievement of 2025 global voluntary targets, set by the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2). Aims: The aim of the present study was to determine the acceptance of bakery bread with a different percentage reduction of salt by the Moroccan population. Subjects and Methods: Various percentages of salt reduction in experimental bread; 7%, 10%, 16%, 23%, 30%, and 53%, were tasted and compared with standard market bread by 201 individuals. "Just About Right" (JAR) and purchase scales were utilized to score the different sample bread. Results: Bread with 10% and 16% salt reduction were highly accepted by 76% and 79% of tasters, respectively. Based on the JAR score, these types of bread were considered as "just about right' by 50% and 57% of the participants respectively. The best average score of purchase intent was obtained for salt content of 1.62g and 1.56g per lOOg for a reduction of 10% and 16% respectively. Conclusions: The current adopted strategy allows a 16% sodium reduction while maintaining taste quality. Keywords: Sodium chloride, bread, salt reduction, Moroccan population. 1. INTRODUCTION Sodium occurs naturally in most foods such as animals, plants, and water. However, this mineral is excessively added to processed foods by manufacturers and by consumers during cooking or on the table during meals. Cereals and their products, especially bread and breakfast cereals, provide about 40% of average intake [1]. Therefore, bad eating habits particularly westernized diet pattern characterized by overconsumption of salty foods, constitute a major risk factor for developing NCDs spreading in several developing countries [2]. In the 18 th century, salt was widely utilized for food preservation purposes with an average of 10 g / kg [3]. However, in the 20 th century, the average salt content in bread doubled to reach 20 g / Kg. The most appropriate method to ameliorate taste, reduce the damage caused by This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2019 The Authors. The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. I July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et a/.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 220 mold spoilage, and preserving foods, rather than salting, is to consider further alternatives [3,41 . The main source of sodium depends on the population's dietary habits [5]. Sodium is found in small quantities in a variety of natural products as well as processed foods (about 70 to 75% of daily intake) such as bread, crackers, and further manufactured products [6,71 . A food processed based diet, low in fresh fruits and a vegetable is considered as high in sodium [7]. Indeed, the diet pattern is related to the amount of salt and, therefore, the amount of sodium. Bread, especially wholemeal bread, constitutes an essential source of complex carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, fats, and B-group vitamins [8]. In Morocco, bread is a staple of the Moroccan diet constituting a potential source of sodium. The daily consumption of bread can reach 500 g per person [9]. According to Derouiche et at [10], the average quantity of salt added, for the preparation of white bread, was 17.42 ± 1.28 g/kg, being equivalent to a daily intake of 8 to 9 g of salt per bread. These amounts exceed the WHO's recommendations [9]. Thus, the high salt content of white bread could contribute to the increase of sodium intake within the population [11]. Sodium reduction in bakery products and processed foods would be beneficial for public health. Indeed, this nutrient, in its chloride form, should be moderately consumed according to dietary intake standards [12]. Sodium chloride can reduce microbial activity as a barrier to microbial growth and survival [13]. In addition to its unique taste, sodium chloride displays a strong effect on wheat gluten properties. Sodium chloride is an essential ingredient for the proper development of the bread dough structure. The interaction of salt with the flour components such as gluten is crucial to form high-quality breadcrumbs. Moreover, it guarantees satisfactory microbiological safety [14]. Hence, a significant decrease in salt will affect the functional and sensory properties of bread and may also reduce its acceptability by consumers. An adequate daily intake of salt (the equivalent of 180-230 mg of sodium) is essential for normal body functions [15]. However, a high dietary sodium intake is directly related to the development of NCDs such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, or coronary heart disease [ 16-181 , representing the most significant pathologies causing global death [19]. In 2016, NCDs were responsible for 71% (41 million) of the 57 million deaths that occurred worldwide versus 60% of all deaths and 43% of disease burden in 2012 [ 18,201 . In this context, the most recent estimate on the daily intake of salt in Morocco was carried out by the Ministry of Health in 2008 prior to the addition of iodine to salt. This survey showed that salt intake among adults reached a daily consumption of 7- 12g/person [21]. This amount is exceeding the WHO's recommendations (< 5 g of salt a day eq. < 2 g of sodium per day) []8]. Concerning this high intake of salt, a well-studied plan has been established to increase awareness among the Moroccan population against overconsumption of salt and its harmful effects to prevent the emergence of NCDs. ICN2 projected a list of 60 recommendations, of which recommendation 14 encourages a gradual reduction in saturated fats, sugars and salt/sodium and trans fats in foods and beverages. This aims to avoid excessive consumption by consumers and improve the nutrient content of the food as needed [22]. From this perspective, Morocco initiated a national multisectoral strategy for the prevention and control of NCDs 2019-2029 setting a target of reducing 10% of the population's salt/sodium intake [231 . The present study aimed to assess, on one hand, the effect of a salt reduction strategy in baked bread without affecting its textual and structural characteristics. On the other hand, we intended obtaining products of high sensory quality and assessing the effect of the reduction of the acceptability of Moroccan baked bread. In sum, three primary objectives were fixed: (1) assess the overall appreciation of bread taste; (2) follow the intensity of salty taste of bread salt-reduced; and (3) evaluate the willingness to purchase salt reduced bread. 2. SUBJECTS AND METHODS 2.1. Study design and subjects 2.1.1. Recruitment This is a cross-sectional and simple-blind experimental study that was conducted in the region of Rabat-Sale- Kenitra at households, at the level of Ibn Tofail University and the Joint unit of Nutrition and Food Research. 2.1.2. Inclusion criteria All the participants included in the study were aged 15 years and over, supposed to be healthy and regular bread consumers 2.1.3. Exclusion criteria Subjects under the age of 15 years, pregnant women, individuals with taste disorders, being sick or under medical treatment, were excluded. Only healthy subjects were recruited to determine the level of salt reduction in bakery bread. Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et a/.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 221 4.00 Concentrations of added salt (mmol/l) ™qi Median HQ3 Mean Figure 1: Participants distribution according to quartiles of their overall liking score of bread with varying salt concentration (n = 201) (Q1 = Quartile land Q3 = Quartile 3) 2.1.4. Study population The sensory panel consisted on 201 volunteers classified on four age categories: 15-29, 30-44, 45-59 and over 60 [241 . Informed consent from participants was obtained before starting activities. After consent, participants respond to a short questionnaire about sociodemographic data (age and gender). The study population was divided into 104 males and 97 Females. General information on age, gender, height, and weight was requested from the participants [24] who were asked to complete a questionnaire and sign an agreement. Different measurements and tests were performed. 2.1.5. Anthropometric measurements Anthropometric measurements were performed according to the standard WHO procedures [ 251 . Body Weight Body Weight was measured at the nearest of 0.1 kg using a mechanical scale (Seca Gmbh, Germany). The body weight measurement was conducted by ensuring that the subject was wearing less clothing and without shoes. Every subject was placed in the middle of the scale, in the upright position, feet slightly apart and motionless until the body weight value was displayed. Height Height was measured at the nearest 0.1 cm using a stadiometer (formerly 130 Shorr Productions, LLC, USA). The participants were barefoot, in a standing position and lightly dressed. BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meter (kg / m 2 ). 2.2. Bread-making procedure 2.2.1. Materials Wheat flour, durum wheat flour, fresh yeast, NaCI sodium chloride, and water. 2.2.2. Preparation of standard bread In a kneading machine, 500 g of wheat flour, 500 g of durum wheat flour, 10 g of fresh yeast, 17, 42 g of NaCI and 1000 ml of warm water were mixed for 10 min at 180 rpm and then for 5 min at 250 rpm. The dough was manually kneaded 5 min for an optimal development and then formed into small balls, each weighing lOOg. After a rest period of 20 min at 37°C, the dough balls were pressed to a thickness of 3 cm, and left to rest for 20 min at 37°C then pricked and baked for 4 min at 270°C. This standard recipe brought 1.74 g sodium/100 g final product (fresh weight). 2.2.3. Preparation of bread with reduced-sodium contents The standard amount of 17.42 g NaCI was reduced to 7%, 10%, 16%, 23%, 30% and 53% [26] to yield 1.62; 1.56; 1.46; 1.34; 1.21 0.81 g of sodium /100g final product respectively. The same protocol was followed to prepare the different series of salt-reduced bread. The bread was cooled and frozen for later tests. Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et ol.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 222 Table 1: Amount of salt added to bread Salt contents (g) 0 8.19 12.19 13.41 14.63 15.68 16.20 17.42 Concentrations (mmol/L) 0 140 208 229 250 268 277 298 Percentage of salt reduction (%) 100% 53% 30% 23% 16% 10% 7% 0% Table 2: Participants distribution according to their overall liking score of different bread salt reduction (n = 201) Percentage of reduction p-value Liking score 100% 53% 30% 23% 16% 10% 7% 0% 1 dislike 70.1 48.3 28.4 12.9 12.4 16.9 22.4 35.3 p<0,000 1 neither like nor dislike 8.0 13.4 19.9 14.1 9.5 7.5 10.9 10.9 1 like 21.9 38.3 51.7 72.6 78.1 75.6 66.7 53.7 Results are presented as percentages of the total population by each salt reduction, p-value was calculated using Freidman’s Chi2test = 315.059, test significance was set at a p-value < 0.05 Table 3: Participants distribution according to their JAR score of different bread salt reduction (n = 201) Percentage of reduction p-value JAR scores 100% 53% 30% 23% 16% 10% 7% 0% A little salty 92.0 76.6 62.2 45.3 21.9 8.5 9.5 10.0 p<0,000 Just about right 7.0 22.9 32.8 74.8 56.2 50.2 35.3 14.4 Too salty 1.0 0.5 5.0 7.0 21.9 41.3 55.2 75.6 Results are presented as percentages of the total population by each salt reduction, p-value was calculated using Freidman’s Chi2 test = 853,789, test significance was set at a p-value < 0.05 2.2.4.Sensory analysis Participants were requested to taste the bread and to evaluate their overall liking based on the taste scale that consisted of 9 hedonic scale points (From 1 = I extremely dislike to 9 = I extremely like). The 9 points were grouped into 3 categories: 1 = I dislike, 2 = I neither like or dislike and 3 = I like. Saltiness intensity was assessed using the JAR (Just About Right) on a 9-points scale (1-4 = not salty enough, 5 = just about right, 6-9 = too much salty). Purchase intent was scored on a 5-point scale (1=would definitely not buy, 5 = would definitely buy) [ 271 . 2.2.5. Two-AFC Alternative Forced Choice tests The evaluation of saltiness perception in bread was performed as described for bread by Pflaum et al [281 . The frozen bread was thawed, brought to room temperature (22°C) and cut into pieces of 3 g. Two three- digit random number encrypted sensory flasks containing different bread samples (3 g each) were presented to each participant in an AB or BA presentation design randomized over the subjects (2 alternative forced- choice). The participants were instructed to rinse their mouths with mineral water during the break (one minute), between tasting the eight bread samples, to eliminate interference carryover effects. Two sensory flasks with different bread samples were presented to each panelist in a randomized order [ 261 . 2.3. Statistical analysis The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 21). Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p-value <0.05. Mean values were compared using the FISHER test. Scores' distribution frequency was calculated for the three used scales (taste scale, JAR scale, and purchase intent scale). The percentage (%) of scores in each category was calculated and Freidman's Chi 2 test was applied to assess the significance between the different categories. 3. RESULTS 3.1. Overall Liking Table 1 displays the added amounts of salt to the experimental bread and Table 2 summarizes the taste scale results. 78.1% of the participants presented the highest liking taste score for bread with 250 mM corresponding to -16% decrease of added salt with a significant difference (p<0.000) between different reduction regarding perception. The taste of bread with 268 mM, corresponding to -10% of the added salt, was liked by 75.6% of the participants. These findings were confirmed by the first quartile evolution (Q1) of hedonic test scores by participants presented on figure 1. The highest Q1 taste score was obtained for the concentration of 250 mM (Q1=3). Q3 for 250 mmol/L was equal to that for 268mM, 277 mmol/L, and 298 mmol/L indicating that liking bread with salt reduction at 16% was equal to 0%. Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et ol.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 223 Table 4: Participants distribution according to their purchase intent scoring of different bread salt reduction (n = 201) Percentage of reduction p-value Purchase intent scale 100% 53% 30% 23% 16% 10% 7 % 0 % 1. 1 would definitely not buy 50.2 22.9 5.5 2.0 6.5 7.0 10.0 19.4 2. 1 would probably not buy 15.9 26.4 13.4 2.5 5.0 7.0 10.0 16.4 p<0,000 3. 1 don't know 9.0 12.4 33.8 22.4 10.4 10.4 17.9 16.4 4. 1 would probably buy 16.9 22.9 26.9 41.3 36.3 27.9 28.9 25.4 5. 1 would definitely buy 8.0 15.4 20.4 31.8 41.8 47.8 33.3 22.4 Results are presented as set at a p-value < 0.05 percentages of the total population by each salt reduction, p-value was calculated using Freidman’s Chi2test = 361,21 3, test significance was Table 5: Participants distribution of their overall liking score of each salt reduction according to sex Salt reduction (%) Liking score Total Women (n=104) Men (n=97) p-value 1 dislike 141 66 (46.8%) 75 (53.2%) 100 1 neither like nor dislike 16 9 (56.3%) 7 (43.8%) 0.634 1 like 44 22 (50.0%) 22 (50.0%) 1 dislike 97 22 (43.3%) 55 (56.7%) 53 1 neither like nor dislike 27 17 (63.0%) 10 (37.0%) 0.391 1 like 77 38 (49.4%) 39 (50.6%) 1 dislike 57 20 (35.1%) 37 (64.9%) 30 1 neither like nor dislike 40 20 (50.0%) 20 (50.0%) 0.019 1 like 104 57 (54.8%) 47 (45.2%) 1 dislike 26 10 (38.5%) 16 (61.5%) 23 1 neither like nor dislike 29 10 (34.5%) 19 (65.5%) 0.070 1 like 146 77 (52.7%) 69 (47.3%) 1 dislike 25 11 (44.0%) 14 (56.0%) 16 1 neither like nor dislike 19 7 (36.8%) 12 (63.2%) 0.381 1 like 157 79 (50.3%) 78 (49.7%) 1 dislike 34 15 (44.1%) 19 (55.9%) 10 1 neither like nor dislike 15 9 (60.0%) 6 (40.0%) 0.846 1 like 152 73 (48.0%) 79 (52.0%) 1 dislike 45 24 (53.3%) 21 (46.7%) 7 1 neither like nor dislike 22 13 (59.1%) 9 (40.9%) 0.241 1 like 134 60 (44.8%) 74 (55.2%) 1 dislike 71 34 (47.9%) 37 (52.1%) 0 1 neither like nor dislike 22 12 (54.5%) 10 (45.5%) 0.897 1 like 108 51 (47.2%) 57 (52.8%) Results are presented as effective (percentage), p-values were calculated by one-way ANOVA for means 3.2. Saltiness Liking Participants' distribution, according to their JAR score of bread with varying salt concentration, is reported in table 3. Results show that 76.6% of participants confirmed that bread with a concentration of 298 mmol/L salt/l (0% reduction) was too salty, while 92% declared that 0 mmol/L (100% reduction) was not salty enough. Reductions of 16% (250 mmol/L) and of 10% (268mmol/L) were considered as "Just About Right" by 56.2% and 50.2% respectively. A significant (p<0.000) difference was reported between different reduction according to JAR. Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et a/.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 224 Table 6: Participants distribution of their overall liking score of each salt reduction according to age groups i Total Age groups (year) 43-58 (19) >58 (11) Salt reduction (%) Liking score 15-29 (140) 29-43 (31) p-value 1 dislike 141 107 (75,9%) 22 (15,6%) 8 (5,7%) 4 (2,8%) 100 1 neither like nor dislike 16 9 (56,3%) 3 (18,8%) 3 (18,8%) 1 (6,3%) 0.001 1 like 44 24 (54,5%) 6 (13,6%) 8 (18,2%) 6 (13,6%) 1 dislike 97 79 (81,4%) 14 (14,4%) 3 (3,1%) 1 (1,0%) 53 1 neither like nor dislike 27 17 (63,0%) 6 (22,2%) 3 (11,1%) 1 (3,7%) 0.000 1 like 77 44 (57,1%) 11 (14,3%) 13 (16,9%) 9 (11,7%) 1 dislike 57 48 (84,2%) 7 (12,3%) 2 (3,5%) 0 (0,0%) 30 1 neither like nor dislike 40 29 (72,5%) 8 (20,0%) 2 (5,0%) 1 (2,5%) 0.002 1 like 104 63 (60,6%) 16 (15,4%) 15 (14,4%) 10 (9,6%) 1 dislike 26 25 (96,2%) 0 (0,0%) 1 (3,8%) 0 (0,0%) 23 1 neither like nor dislike 29 19 (65,5%) 7 (24,1%) 3 (10,3%) 0 (0,0%) 0.036 1 like 146 96 (65,8%) 24 (16,4%) 15 (10,3%) 11 (7,5%) 1 dislike 25 21 (84,0%) 2 (8,0%) 1 (4,0%) 1 (4,0%) 16 1 neither like nor dislike 19 15 (78,9%) 3 (15,8%) 1 (5,3%) 0 (0,0%) 0.255 1 like 157 104 (66,2%) 26 (16,6%) 17 (10,8%) 10 (6,4%) 1 dislike 34 30 (88,2%) 1 (2,9%) 2 (5,9%) 1 (2,9%) 10 1 neither like nor dislike 15 9 (60,0%) 5 (33,3%) 1 (6,7%) 0 (0,0%) 0.162 1 like 152 101 (66,4%) 25 (16,4%) 16 (10,5%) 10 (6,6%) 1 dislike 45 32 (71,1%) 7 (15,6%) 4 (8,9%) 2 (4,4%) 7 1 neither like nor dislike 22 20 (90,9%) 1 (4,5%) 0 (0,0%) 1 (4,5%) 0.737 1 like 134 88 (65,7%) 23 (17,2%) 15 (11,2%) 8 (6,0%) 1 dislike 71 48 (67,6%) 9 (12,7%) 7 (9,9%) 7 (9,9%) 0 1 neither like nor dislike 22 11 (50,0%) 7 (31,8%) 3 (13,6%) 1 (4,5%) 0.221 1 like 108 81 (75,0%) 15 (13,9%) 9 (8,3%) 3 (2,8%) Results are presented as effective (percentage), p-values were calculated by one-way ANOVA for means 3.3. Purchase Intent Table 4 shows that the best average score of purchase intent was obtained for salt concentration of 268mM. Less than one third of participants (22.4%) confirmed their intention to purchase bread with 298mM salt concentration (0% reduction) besides 47.8% and 41.8% for bread with salt concentration of 268 mM and 250mM respectively. A significant difference (p<0.000) between salt reductions based on purchase intent score was recorded. In table 5, are presented, the results of participant's distribution of their overall liking score of each salt reduction according to gender. The chi-square test shows a significant difference (p<0.05) between overall appreciation of bread taste and gender for the 30% salt reduction with p=0.019. Women appreciated the taste of bread, reduced to this salt content, much more than men with a percentage of 54.8% versus 45.2%. Data about the distribution of participants according to different age categories, for their overall liking, is reported in table 6. For all concentrations, the large size was found in the age category of subjects between 15 and 29. A significant (p<0.05) difference was recorded between different age categories from 100% to 23% reductions. Results showed that young subjects presenting the age category between 15 and 29 years old appreciate low-salt bread without affecting their acceptability. 4. DISCUSSION In terms of ensuring food safety and improving nutritional practices, the WHO has set a global plan of action for the control of NCDs considering a reduction of 30 % of salt intake by 2025 [28]. It should be reminded that the current study constitutes a part of the national multi-sectoral strategy 2019-2029 [23] for the prevention and the control of NCDs. The primary emphasis is to study the feasibility of Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et al.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 225 salt reduction in bakery bread and acceptability among Moroccan subjects aged from 15 to over 60 years old. Our results showed that 70.1% of the tasters disliked the taste of bread with 0 mmol/L (corresponding to 0% of added salt), while the taste of bread at a concentration of 250 mmol/L (16% of salt reduction) was appreciated. 78.1% of the population answered by "I like it a lot" against 12.4% who answered "I hate". 75.6%, 72.6% of participants liked the taste of bread at 10% and 23% respectively. Compared with other studies, these findings were also reported by Miller & Hoseney [29], who showed that salt- free baked bread possesses a tasteless taste. Indeed, in the absence of salt, bread was described as "yeasty," "sour," or "acidic" and having "sourdough" type characteristics [301 . In terms of reduction, it can be judged that around 23%, salt reduction is undetectable by consumers which has been well reported by Girgis et ai who demonstrated that the salt content of bread can be reduced by 25% with no detection [31]. Another study showed that a salt reduction of 10 to 20% in whole bread does not affect the taste of the bread and could not be detected by tasters [32]. In Germany, an identical study was performed by Mueller et al [26] who adopted the same strategy of salt reduction with the same levels (from 1% to 53%) in pizza crust showed that 7% and 10% sodium reduction were not significantly discriminable from the standard amount, while 16% and 23% reduction tasted significantly less salty. Moreover, Pasqualone et al [33], showed that would be possible to decrease the salt amount of bread formulation to 15 g/kg without significantly affecting consumer's appreciation. 15g/kg corresponds to 10% of salt reduction in our study that agrees with our results. According to gender, our results underlined a significant difference between overall appreciation of bread taste and this parameter for 30% salt reduction. Women appreciated the taste of bread reduced salt content much more than men. This disagrees with Weiffenbach etal. [M\, who found no differences in flavors perceptions according to gender. Concerning age, young participants responded positively to 16% and 10% of salt reduction. However, further age categories responded to the concentration of 208 mM (30% salt reduction). In this context, some authors showed that cultural influences, age, gender and taste phenotype present an effect on taste appreciation [35,361 . Another study, conducted in Australia, demonstrated this interaction between age and salt perception too. 79% of middle-aged women, especially the age category (22-62 years), consumed an average of 25 bread slices a week up to six consecutive weeks of bread with a 5% discount. Women aged 45-60 enjoyed the taste of bread just in the fourth week of testing. The study concludes that 25% of sodium reduction can be delivered over a short period of time while maintaining consumer acceptance [ 311 . For the salt intensity in bread, 56.2% of our study population responded by "just about right", while 21.9% of them consider it less salty at the concentration of 16%. Compared to their purchase willingness to each bread type, 21.8% of the population agree to purchase bread corresponding to the concentration of 268 mM (23% salt reduction), and 41.8% agree purchasing bread at 16% of salt reduction, whereas, 20.4% at 30% of salt reduction. La Croix etal. [37] found that reducing sodium levels in bread up to 30% did not affect consumer liking or purchase intent of the products. Additionally, it was shown that a 50% reduction in bread salt did not reduce bread consumption or affect the choice of sandwich fillings [38]. Bertino et al. [39] reported that, when subjects ingest solid or liquid foods with salt reduction by 25%, they appreciate the taste foods just after 2 months against the original ones that become too salty in the long term. In summary, our results highlight the long-term feasibility of a substantial reduction in daily salt intake. In addition, other studies showed that when the reduction in salt content of food is performed gradually, the intervention goes unnoticed for the majority of people. A study, carried out by the health monitoring institute, showed that people consuming large amounts of salt have a caloric intake increase, appetite and thirst [40]. High salt consumption is frequently accompanied by an increase in food consumption, snacking and sweet drinks primarily among young consumers who may become addicted to and, as a consequence, could develop obesity. Indeed, several epidemiological studies have found that high salt intake is correlated with a marked increase in the risk of developing NCDs such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and other pathologies which are the leading cause of worldwide mortality [201 . In Morocco, there has been a rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity within the population [ 9,411 . According to STEPS, a recent survey conducted in Morocco, the prevalence of obesity among adults aged more than 18 years old was 20%. Like other countries in the world, this prevalence has increased compared to that of 2000 (13.2%) [42]. Obesity does not concern solely the adult population, however, adolescents aged between 10 and 19 were also considered obese (9%) [20]. Overweight/obesity and high sodium intake are considered as a risk for developing hypertension among adults and children [ 431 . High blood pressure is affecting 29.3% of Moroccan adults, Nor. Afr. J. Food Nutr. Res. July - December 2019 Volume 03 Issue 06 Guennoun et a/.: Salt reduction in bakery bread among Moroccan consumers 226 this fact has been decreasing slightly between the years 2000 (33.6%) and 2017 (29.3%)[42]. It must be underlined that a healthy diet is a crucial approach for preventing and controlling NCDs. Thus, our study on salt reduction in bread, based on the principle of setting objectives, allows the Moroccan population consuming fewer salt amounts, especially in processed foods and as a result avoiding developing chronic diseases. Our investigation is comparable to other studies carried out in 19 global countries where salt amounts were reduced in processed foods at 25% depending on the function of the product concerned. Therefore, our study leads to the conclusion that 16% of salt reduction (eq. 14.63 g of salt/kg of flour) in Moroccan bread is a possible target without affecting the taste and the quality of bread consumed by the general population. 5. CONCLUSION Modest restrictions in salt intake could potentially reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. Our results highlight that producing bread containing lower salt levels is technologically feasible. Overall, a 16% reduction of salt did not affect the acceptance of consumers and their willingness to purchase bread. The current study reflects one of the potential strategies for achieving the objective of reducing salt consumption at the level of our population and to decrease the burden of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure by reducing its prevalence to 10% by the year 2029. Some of the potential limitations of this study were that our population presented an unequal distribution according to different age groups with a high effective for participants aged from 15 to 29 years. This may be owing to the encountered difficulty in convincing elderly persons to participate in this survey. While, the final included sample was valid. 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