My diet:

Salt

No E-numberFlavor enhancersOrigin: Mineral
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Salt is a mineral.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoYes

Salt has no carbohydrate. Keto diets still use it.

Low-FODMAPYes

Plain salt is not a FODMAP. Garlic salt and onion salt are.

The short answer
Salt is sodium chloride. It is vegan, gluten-free and allowed on every diet this site tracks. The body needs sodium. Packaged food is where the amount gets large, which is why this page sits in the moderation band.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromMineral
What it doesFlavor enhancers
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledSalt, Sodium chloride

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Salt is a food, not an additive with an E-number. Anti-caking agents, when they are used, are listed as their own ingredients. The health question for salt is the sodium dose across the day, not a contaminant unique to the crystal.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Rock salt is mined. Sea salt is evaporated. A finishing salt is the same mineral in a flake that dissolves slowly. Garlic salt and onion salt are this mineral mixed with those powders, and they carry the FODMAP load of the vegetable.

Where it comes from: Salt in a kitchen is sodium chloride. Sea salt is evaporated seawater. Kosher salt is a coarse crystal, named for its use in dry-brining meat, and it is not automatically a certified kosher product. Iodized salt has a little potassium iodide added to prevent iodine deficiency.

Why it’s in food

  • Seasons food
  • Firms a brine
  • Slows microbes in a cure
  • Carries iodine when iodized

Often found in

Cooking saltBreadCheeseCured meatSnacksCanned soup

Also listed as: Salt, Sodium chloride, Table salt, Sea salt, Kosher salt, Iodized salt, Himalayan pink salt

Health & gut impact

SodiumConcern

A high-sodium pattern raises blood pressure in many people. The crystal on the table is rarely the main source. Bread, cheese and restaurant food usually are.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans on sodium

IodineBenefit

Iodized salt is a public-health tool against iodine deficiency. A sea salt that is not iodized does not provide that insurance.

Iodization of table salt

What can I use instead?

Potassium chloride

Ratio: A sodium-free salt substitute that turns bitter if you overuse it

Best for: Lower-sodium cooking

Yeast extract

Ratio: A savory booster when you want less salt and more flavor

Best for: Soups

Related

More flavor enhancers:

Artificial flavors (Artificial flavoring)Artificial flavor means the aroma was synthesized, not extracted from the food it tastes like. The category is allowed. Vegan, halal and kosher status still depends on the carrier.Use in moderationBrewer's yeastBrewer's yeast is yeast left over from making beer. It is bitter, it may contain barley gluten, and it is not the cheesy flake called nutritional yeast.Use in moderationCalcium inosinate E633Calcium inosinate (E633) is a savory flavor booster related to disodium inosinate, used alongside MSG in snacks and stock products. It is gluten-free, but vegan, halal and kosher status depends on whether it was made by fermentation or from animal tissue.Generally safeDiacetyl (Butanedione)Diacetyl is the buttery flavor molecule. The FDA lists it as a GRAS flavor. Breathing the vapor at work has harmed lungs. Eating the trace in a food is the exposure the GRAS rule is about.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is sea salt healthier than table salt?

Both are sodium chloride. Sea salt may carry trace minerals and may skip iodine. The sodium is the part that matters for blood pressure.

Is kosher salt kosher?

The name describes the coarse grain used in koshering meat. A certified kosher salt has a hechsher. The word kosher on the crystal shape is not that certificate.

Is Salt safe?

Use in moderation (72/100). Salt is a food, not an additive with an E-number. Anti-caking agents, when they are used, are listed as their own ingredients. The health question for salt is the sodium dose across the day, not a contaminant unique to the crystal.

Is Salt vegan?

Yes. Salt is a mineral.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Report it ›

Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Dietary Guidelines for Americans on sodium
  • Iodization of table salt

CAS 7647-14-5