Abstract: A low-sodium salt composition includes a carrier particle having disposed thereon a plurality of salt crystallites of an average size of less than about 20 microns. The low-sodium salt compositions are useful as salt-alternative products that impart a salty taste with less sodium content than an equivalent volume of sodium chloride by itself.

Abstract: Food products are described. In one general aspect, a low-sodium alternative product to table salt is described that provides substantially equal salty flavor as compared with an equal volume of table salt. The low-sodium alternative product includes extremely small salt particles adhered to an edible carrier particle; the increased surface area-to-volume ratio of the product interacts with mouth physiology to provide increased salt flavor as compared to conventional table salt, while substantially reducing the amount of salt ingested by the consumer.

Abstract: A method for making a beverage clouding agent entails acid hydrolysis of a starch without the use of agitation during hydrolysis followed by a step of lowering the temperature of the hydrolysate to between 45.degree. C. to 60.degree. C. coupled with increasing the solids level of the slurry containing the hydrolysate to between 30.degree. to 45.degree. Be. If the slurry containing the hydrolysate is spray dried to obtain the hydrolysate, then the slurry should be preheated prior to spray drying to not more than 90.degree. C. The clouding agent produced is a starch hydrolysate which in an about 0.1% aqueous solution has a spectrophotometric reading below 70%T when measured at 25.degree. C. through a 1 cm cell at 600 nm.