## 1 Introduction  
Specific population groups widely consume comminunted meat products such as sausages and patties, positively impacting the food sector's economy [1]. However, some processed meat products have high salt content. Due to its low cost and various technological properties, salt is a multipurpose ingredient in processing meat [2]. Table salt (NaCl) is mostly used in meat formulations to improve shelf life, sensory properties, and convenience [3]. However, other additives of sodium salts, such as phosphates, glutamates, lactases, and nitrites, could add to the sodium burden [4]. About 75% of the daily sodium globally comes from processed food items, with 20-30% from meat products [5]. Excessive sodium intake can lead to hypertension, increasing the risk of cardiovascular illnesses, a significant public health issue [6]. The World Health Organization (WHO) have set an adult intake of NaCl limit to less than 5 g/day to overcome health-related issues [7]. The food sector has been encouraged to develop low-salt meat products due to health recommendations and customers' awareness of their health. The low-salt formulation also tends to have higher cooking loss owing to lower water holding capacity and poor solubilisation of myofibrillar proteins [9]. Various strategies have been considered to minimise salt content and create meat products that meet nutritional recommendations. In processing Chinese bacon, NaCl was partially replaced with potassium chloride to promote the growth of _Lactobacillus_ and impacted proteolysis and lipid oxidation [10]. During salami processing, replacing the NaCl with a mixture of KCl, CaCl\({}_{2}\), and MgCl\({}_{2}\) decreases the sodium content by 40%, with minor effects on sensory qualities. Still, there was a significant increase in lipid oxidation. Other alternatives include incorporating naturally salty-tasting ingredients such as seaweed [2]. Seaweeds contain nutrients and biological compounds, such as proteins, polysaccharides, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins [11]. The fatty acid contents of red seaweed were primarily made up of palmitic acid (31.62-41.71%), oleic acid (9.21-10.33%), and arachidonic acid (29.40-38.33%) [12]. _K. alvarezii_ also exhibited high amount of soluble (16.73 g/100 g), insoluble (42.24 g/100 g), and total dietary fibre (58.97 g/100 g) [13]. In addition, seaweed contains minerals, including Ca (262.98 mg/100 g), Fe (11.34 mg/100 g), and Zn (0.29 mg/100 g) [14]. Due to their high mineral content, seaweeds can serve as salt substitutes in meat products, reducing sodium intake while increasing the consumption of other minerals unavailable in NaCl-salted processed meat [15]. Seaweeds have a low Na/K ratio, ideal for avoiding hypertension and cardiovascular disorders [2]. The red seaweed _Kappaphycus alvarezii_ belongs to the phylum _Rhodophyta_ and serves as a source of kappa carrageenan, a phyllocoloid used as a stabilising and thickening agent in food [16]. The phenolic compounds found in abundance in _K. alvarezii_ have antioxidant, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties [17]. The antioxidant potency composite index of _K. alvarezii_ was 87.93%, owing to the presence of hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, and flavonoid [18; 19]. As the research shows [20], adding 4% of _K. alvarezii_ to chicken sausage increased the overall phenolic content, reduced lipid oxidation, and showed acceptable sensory results. Additionally, the incorporation of red seaweeds (_Poryphya umbilicals_ and _Palmaria palmata_) in frankfurters showed decreased ash and estimated shelf-life similar to the control [21]. However, little is known about the effects of _K. alvarezii_ addition to reduced-salt patty. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a chicken patty that could satisfy the need for meat products with lower salt content while promoting consumer acceptance of functional food through different inclusion levels of _K. alvarezii_.