Sodium gluconate is used as a partial replacement for sodium chloride in salt substitute or reduced sodium products. Usually used in conjunction with potassium chloride, these two are typically combined with sodium chloride is a 50:30:20 ratio NaCl/KCl/GNa.
Sodium gluconate is also used in sausages. The emulsifying and water binding properties of sausage as well as the nutritional properties are improved.
There has been considerable research conducted in Japan using sodium gluconate to compliment sodium chloride in the extraction of proteins from fish muscle. Surimi, which had excellent whiteness and good elasticity, was produced by replacing the phosphates in the process with sodium gluconate.
