Sodium and potassium contents of salts, salt substitutes, and other seasonings

Samples of table, cooking, rock and sea salts, flavoured salts, salt substitutes, seasonings, and monosodium glutamates were analysed for sodium and potassium content. The average sodium content of table, cooking and rock salts was about 16 600 mmol/kg, and that of sea salt was only marginally lower at about 16 100 mmol/kg. Flavoured salts contained about 11 900 mmol/kg, while "low salt" products contained about 9400 mmol/kg. Products marketed as containing "no salt" contained less than 20 mmol/kg (equivalent to less than 0.1 g sodium chloride per 100 g); all other salts contained the equivalent of over 50% sodium chloride. Nomenclature of seasonings was no indication of the sodium content, which ranged from 1060 to 12 960 mmol/kg. The monosodium glutamates contained 5300 mmol sodium per kg. Potassium was present at nutritionally significant levels only in "no salt" (12 800 mmol/kg) and "low salt" products (5300 mmol/kg).