Salt content in salted salmon by the level of saltiness

Abstract

Salted salmon is an important processed food as a source of quality protein, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. Salted salmon has an added salt content, and it is often sold with a label indicating its level of saltiness, e.g., mildly salty, medium salty, and salty, based on its salt content. However, the Food Labeling Act does not specify standards for salt content labeling by the level of saltiness. The aim of the current study was to measure the salt content in salted salmon and to ascertain the actual salt content by the level of saltiness. Tested samples included 7 mildly salty products, 6 medium salty products, and 6 salty products. The mean salt content was 2.20% in the mildly salty salted salmon, 3.05% in the medium salty salted salmon, and 4.56% in the salty salted salmon. Trends in the level of saltiness were evident, but there were differences among the samples with each level of saltiness (p＜0.01). In addition, the salt content in each sample was often lower than the salt equivalent listed in the nutritional information on the sample, though it was sometimes higher. Standards for the salt content by the level of saltiness (mildly salty, medium salty, and salty) need to be specified for the salted salmon, and the salt equivalent needs to be accurately labeled to the extent possible. Doing so would help to prevent the onset of conditions, such as hypertension, in the populace who consume this product.