Low pH, high moisture, shelf stable food composition with reduced sourness and methods of making them are provided. The food composition is acidified with a low sourness acidulent having an acidifying power of at least about 0.005 mole/liter per gram of the acidulant at pH 4.0 in amount effective for providing a food composition having an Aw of about 0.90 or greater with a final pH of 5.0 or less, and particularly 4.2 or less. The low pH food composition particularly may contain total organic acids content of 0.22 moles per 1,000 grams of food composition or less, which aids in avoiding undue sourness. New or improved low pH, high-moisture shelf stable food components and products with reduced sourness, and their methods of preparation, are also provided, including in one aspect an improved electrodialysis method and system for preparing ED compositions useful for food preparation.