Salt vs. Sodium: Why the Global standard of "Salt" is Easier to Track

If you’ve ever compared a food label from the United States with one from Europe, you might have noticed a confusing discrepancy. In the US, labels list Sodium . In the UK and EU, labels list Salt . While they sound like the same thing, the numbers are very different—and confusing them can lead to a dangerous intake of hidden minerals. At CalorieFinder , we standardize this data across our USA and Global portals at www.caloriefinder.org . Today, we’re breaking down the science of salt vs. sodium so you can protect your blood pressure with accuracy. 1. The Chemistry: It’s All About the Ratio Table salt is a chemical compound known as Sodium Chloride ($NaCl$) . It is composed of two elements: sodium and chloride. However, sodium only makes up about 40% of the weight of salt. This means that "Salt" and "Sodium" are not a 1:1 match. If a label says 1g of Sodium, it actually contains about 2.5g of Salt. This is where most people make a critical tracking error. 2. Why the Global &…