Microsalt Share Price (SALT)

Https://youtu.be/kT0_Fb7aH0g

Https://patents.google.com/patent/US9491961B2/en?oq=9%2c491%2c961

as a result of the most recent application granted to Microsalt...

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20210037865A1/en?oq=US+2021%2f0037865+A1

where it is cited.

The US9491961 document makes for an interesting read in as much as its description, which seems to offer greater clarity compared to the Microsalt one, of the resulting product suggests that hollow spheres of salt, presumably bound by the carrier are formed.

The compositions proposed, 15g salt vs 1g carrier per 100mL solvent the solvent being water, is also interesting. Microsalt's web pages suggest that their raw product only achieves a 50% reduction in salt and this alternative seems to be much better.

US9491961 also details the addition of other flavourings, onion, basil and chilli for example, to the product. I was wondering why Microsalt have not considered a similar extension of their product but I suppose that this 2015 patent is still in force so there is not much they could do in terms of being inventive and the presence of that granted patent might stop them anyway unless they made deals.

On top of that US9491961 specifically mentions a product specifically intended for use in the production of bread. Here they are using fats to make the product insoluble. I had wondered about the Microsalt product dissolving in water. It looks like these other people may have got there first.

Going back to...

https://www.lse.co.uk/media/SALT/rick-guiney-ceo-of-microsalt-explains-why-they-are-targeting-the-largest-food-b2b-manufacturers-66mp9ug6nr2vngy.html

Rick Guiney seems to get a bit excited about the news that a bread manufacturer woke them up to this possibility which seems a bit odd given a Patent cited in their own Patent told them that was possible. Perhaps Rick does not pay too much attention to what is going on elsewhere,,,

Sorry it was Konrad Dobrowski...

https://youtu.be/H3nM2EPMdsI?t=764

Obviously my concerns here are that although Microsalt may have a certain level of IP protection when compared to what else is or may be available via research papers and IP held by other entities they may not be on solid grounds in respect of protection given other routes appear to be available and in some cases appear to be closed off to them.

Ultimately it appears that the business is very much dependent on time to market and first mover advantage and the concern should be that there is the possibility that once they have made others aware of the possibilities those customers might look for other or more extensive solutions and abandon Microsalt.

I believe they do mention such possibilities in their listing prospectus and, hunting about the place, those warning appear to be very real.

Feels like any sort of news regarding new contacts and this will pop !

Anyone else see McDonald's have changed their burger recipe?????? Now that would be a scoop

Https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2020.09.079

"Size-dependent enhancement in salt perception: Spraying approaches to

reduce sodium content in foods."

Available online 02 October 2020

Deals with the use of Spray Drying, SD, and Electrostatic Drying, ED. as means of controlling the size of salt particles. A carrier, e.g Maltodextrin, is not used. Also mentions measurements of adherence of product to a substrate, Potato Chips. Carr index and Hausner ratio.

MicroSalt's methods in particular related to crystal size appear to be an area of active research. In particular the authors note a significant increase in adhesion for particles produced by SD and ED, very cohesive.

Again this does not use a carrier so it is difficult to do a like for like comparison. The authors give a salt equivalent for product on substrate, Potato Chip, with the control, presumably untreated salt, being at a level of 1.5% w/w whilst achieving 2-3 times more saltiness, perception thereof, for SD at 0.62% w/w and ED at 0.52% w/w.

MicroSalt's raw product, salt on carrier, is suggested to achieve a 50% equivalent salt content but this will be before application to a substrate, Potato Chip, which will represent much less product and therefore salt equivalent. The Authors product appears to achieve increased saltiness at a 30% equivalent salt content.

If you consider that the control at 1.5% w/w were to be indicative of standard flavouring practice then the results achieved by the authors would seem to be equivalent to those achieved by MicroSalt if not better.

The methods used by the authors do not appear infringe on any Patents, filed or granted, to MicroSalt in that they do not use a carrier.

Of course that carrier may be intrinsic to the overall manufacturing process in terms of product transport and flow during manufacture. Again MicroSalt make much of the adhesion of their product to the substrate and claims of reduced contamination.

However the authors also note significant gains at least in respect of adhesion which, when including electrostatic application, might be expected to match the claims made by MicroSalt.

The basic bottom line is that this is an active area of research with numerous methods under investigation to, in particular, reduce the size of salt crystals applied to a product in order to enhance perceived saltiness. As a result there is a possibility that MicroSalt may be heavily reliant on being first to market as others play catch up.

Https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.powtec.2015.02.027