## 1 Introduction  
Dry-meat products crafted from whole pieces, such as dry-cured loin, ham, bacon, and jerked beef, are highly valued and enjoyed globally for their distinct sensory qualities and extended shelf life [1]. Generally, a significant amount of salt is added to dry-cured meat products to reduce moisture and extend preservation time. For example, the salt content in dry-cured ham in Europe varies from 4.5% to 8% [2], while bacon ranges from 1.65% to 3.7% in Australia [3]. However, in China, the amount of salt added to dry-cured meat far exceeds that of other countries, especially in ham, where it can reach as high as 7% to 12% [4]. Excessive consumption of sodium salts increases the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, liver and kidney disease, gastric cancer, and osteoporosis, etc. [5]. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the daily intake of salt for adults should be less than 5 g (2 g/sodium). Therefore, sodium reduction in meat products, especially dry-cured meat products, has been garnering increasing attention.  
Currently, various physical processing methods are used to reduce sodium addition in dry-cured meat products, such as high pressure, ultrasonic methods, and electric field treatment [6]. There are also other methods, such as directly reducing the amount of NaCl [7], mediated pickling for salt reduction [8], and the utilization of low-sodium salts [9]. Among these methods, the partial replacement of NaCl with other metal salts is the most widely used method in traditional dry-cured meat.  
Previous studies have shown that reducing sodium content can affect the quality of meat products, including sensory characteristics, flavors, bacterial colonies, and texture.  
[PERSON] et al. [10] and [PERSON] et al. [11] demonstrated that using 50% KCl as a replacement for NaCl in hams resulted in a more pronounced bitter taste. [PERSON] et al. [12] found that replacing over 40% of sodium with potassium significantly altered the distribution of volatile compounds in dry-cured meat, leading to changes in aroma and flavor. Research by [PERSON] et al. [13] indicated that in the dry-cured ham, replacing over 50% of NaCl with KCl led to a significant decrease in tenderness, while cooking loss increased with higher concentrations of KCl. [PERSON] et al. [14] revealed that in the salted meat, under the same ionic strength, calcium chloride (CaCl\({}_{2}\)) exhibited higher oxidative capacity and had a more pronounced impact on lipid profiles compared to NaCl and KCl. [PERSON] et al. [15] demonstrated that in dry-cured bacon, 40% KCl effectively inhibited the formation of biogenic amines, body alkalinity, and histamine while increasing the residual nitrate level. These findings indicated that different metal ions and substitution ratios have varying impacts on the quality of dry-cured meat products. Therefore, it is essential to explore suitable substitution levels and formulas to avoid affecting the quality of dry-cured meat.  
Taking into consideration the high sodium level in dry-cured meat and the impacts linked with salt reduction on the quality and sensory properties, this study used four formulations of low-sodium salt during the processing of dry-cured meat. By measuring the physicochemical parameters, aroma, and taste of dry-cured meat products, we aim to select composite salts to enhance the quality of dry-cured meat while achieving the highest reduction in sodium content. This research will provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the development of low-sodium dry-cured meat products.