Let’s talk about Salt! This week we sat down with Dr. Rodrigo Tarté who is an Assistant Professor and Meat Scientist in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. He has many years of experience in academia and industry and discusses the importance of salt in processed meats to ensure food safety, texture, flavor and more. 

Meat our guest: He holds BS and MS in Food Technology, and a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology and Meat Science, from Iowa State University. Dr. Tarte joined the Iowa State faculty in 2015 after nineteen years in the meat processing industry, during which he held key research & development posts in major meat and food processing companies, primarily Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer and John Morrell Food Group (division of Smithfield Foods). 

His primary areas of expertise and research are meat further processing, meat product formulation, non-meat ingredient technology and food safety microbiology. 

Today you will learn about: 

1. Sodium Chloride 

2. Types of salt 

3. Protein extraction 

4. Myosin 

5. Principles in formulation 

6. How much is too much? 

7. Other salt alternatives 

8. Potassium Chloride 

9. Industry to academia