Disodium succinate (WSA) was found with high content in scallops, and it contributes to important umami taste in seafoods, such as shellfish, shrimp and crab.

Uses

Disodium succinate has been discovered as the important umami contributor in shiitake mushrooms (Feng, 2002, Wang, 2003).

Taste threshold

The taste threshold of WSA is 0.03%(w/v), with a special shellfish taste (Li & Liu, 2013).

Disodium succinate in food

According to the Chinese Food Additives Standard (Li & Liu, 2013), Disodium succinate(WSA) is the only organic acid umami contributor that is allowed in food products such as meat products, aquatic products and sauces.

Quantitative analyses of the umami characteristics of disodium succinate

Disodium succinate (WSA) contributes to umami taste in seafoods and it is abundantly found in scallops. However, the actual application of WSA in foods is limited due to a lack of understanding of its taste characteristics and stability. In this study, two-alternative forced choice method was used to determine the relative umami intensity of WSA compared to monosodium glutamate, as well as the relative umami intensity under different conditions (pH and temperature). WSA concentration–taste intensity curve was established, which fitted well with a logarithmic-linear regression (R2 = 0.96). WSA exhibited the strongest umami intensity at 25 °C, 0.1% Na+ addition, and pH 7.5. It also had a good thermal stability, which met the needs of high temperature heating during food processing.^[1]

Reference

[1] Jie Ma .“Quantitative analyses of the umami characteristics of disodium succinate in aqueous solution.”Food Chemistry 316 (2020): Article 126336.