Ingredients A–ZSeasoningsChecked 2026-09-30
Salt 食塩・海水
Food ingredientUsed in 48 products on this site
Salt is a seasoning whose main component is sodium chloride. In ingredient lists of processed foods it is often written as “食塩” (salt). For products that are salt itself, the raw material is written as “海水” (seawater), “岩塩” (rock salt), and so on.
How it appears on labels
| On the label (Japanese) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 食塩 | salt |
| 塩 | salt |
| 海水 | seawater |
| 天日塩 | sun-dried salt |
| 岩塩 | rock salt |
Labeling rules
- Products that are salt itself (edible salt) have their labeling set by the industry's Fair Competition Code for labeling of edible salt. The name is “塩” or “食塩” (salt), and the ingredient is one of “海水” (seawater), “海塩” (sea salt), “岩塩” (rock salt), “湖塩” (lake salt), or “温泉水” (hot spring water). A raw material evaporated in the sun can be labeled with “天日” (sun-dried), and for sea salt it can be written “天日塩” (sun-dried salt).
- The same code requires a “製造方法” (manufacturing method) label, which lists the raw materials and processes in the order of the process, using set terms such as “イオン膜” (ion membrane), “天日” (sun-dried), and “平釜” (flat pan).
- Terms in which “自然” or “天然” (natural) applies to the salt, such as “自然塩”, “天然塩”, and “自然海塩”, cannot be used (Article 5 of the code's enforcement rules).
- Processed foods that have salt as one of the ingredients, such as curry roux, follow the Food Labeling Standards rather than this code and are written as “食塩” (salt) and so on. In this case, the type and origin of the salt are often not shown on the label.
Good to know
- The “食塩相当量” (salt equivalent) in the nutrition facts is the amount of sodium converted to an amount of salt. In the food composition table, the salt equivalent per 100 g is 99.5 g for “食塩” (table salt) and 99.6 g for refined salt.
- On this site, salt is in two products whose only ingredient is seawater (seawater is the “唯一の原材料”, the sole ingredient), as well as many products such as curry roux, soy sauce, and ketchup.
Food composition data
| Salt (per 100 g) | Sodium (mg) | Potassium (mg) | Calcium (mg) | Salt equivalent (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt (“食塩”)Food No. 17012 | 39,000 | 100 | 22 | 99.5 |
| Regular salt (“並塩”)Food No. 17013 | 38,000 | 160 | 55 | 97.3 |
| Refined salt, for household useFood No. 17014 | 39,000 | 2 | 0 | 99.6 |
Per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: MEXT, Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement).
Products on this site that contain it
Product pages are in Japanese for now; each one reads every ingredient on the label.
Related pages
Sources
- Fair Competition Code for labeling of edible salt and its enforcement rules — Edible Salt Fair Trade Council
- Commentary and terms of the code — Edible Salt Fair Trade Council
- Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) — e-Gov Japanese Law Search
- Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement) — MEXT
Sources are in Japanese unless noted otherwise. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in standards of public bodies and industry associations. It does not judge whether an ingredient or product is good or bad. If you have a food allergy, always check the label on the package.