Types of Salt: Table, Iodized, Kosher, Sea and Pickling Salt

The types of salt sold for cooking differ mainly in crystal size, in where the salt comes from and in whether iodide has been added, and the FDA says table salt is sodium chloride. This guide sorts the common salt types using what the FDA, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) say about them, and shows how much sodium USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy data list for table salt by the dash, teaspoon and tablespoon, with the FDA percent Daily Value. For the acid side of the pantry, see our sibling guide to types of vinegar.

Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Salt and sodium are not the same word

The FDA says the words “table salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably, “but they do not mean the same thing.” In the FDA’s words, table salt, “also known by its chemical name, sodium chloride”, is “a crystal-like compound that is abundant in nature”, while sodium is a mineral and one of the chemical elements found in salt. The FDA lists the jobs sodium does in foods as curing meat, baking, thickening, retaining moisture, enhancing flavor and acting as a preservative.

The FDA also notes that most dietary sodium, over 70%, comes from packaged and prepared foods, not from table salt added when cooking or eating. The NIH ODS adds that food manufacturers almost always use noniodized salt in processed foods, and that a manufacturer who does use iodized salt must list it as iodized in the ingredient list. Our low sodium foods guide covers sodium across the rest of the food supply.

Types of salt at a glance

The table summarizes the salt types named in the sources read for this guide. Each row states only what the named source says; where a source is silent on a salt, this guide says nothing about it.

Table salt and iodized salt

Iodized salt is the one salt type with its own FDA labeling rule. Under 21 CFR 100.155, “iodized salt” or “iodized table salt” is the name for salt to which iodide has been added in one of two FDA-permitted forms, cuprous iodide or the potassium form, and its label must carry the statement “This salt supplies iodide, a necessary nutrient” right after the name. Salt or table salt without added iodide, the same FDA rule says, “shall bear the statement, ‘This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient.'” The FDA rule also lets a label describe what anticaking agents do, giving “free flowing” as its example.

The NIH ODS says salt manufacturers in the United States have added iodine to table salt since the 1920s, “although this practice is still voluntary.” According to its label, the NIH ODS says, iodized salt in the United States contains 45 micrograms of iodine per gram of salt. The fact sheet names the same two FDA-approved forms. The NIH ODS fact sheet also lists iodine in foods other than salt; see our guide to foods high in iodine and our kelp article.

Kosher, sea, fleur de sel and other specialty salt types

The NIH ODS groups several salts as specialty salts and says, “Specialty salts, such as sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan salt, and fleur de sel, are not usually iodized.” It adds that product labels will indicate if the salt is iodized or provides iodide, and that noniodized sea salt provides virtually no iodine. The practical reading is the label statement required by the FDA rule above: it tells you whether a given box of kosher or sea salt has added iodide.

• Kosher salt: named by the NIH ODS as a specialty salt that is not usually iodized. The sources read for this guide do not define its crystal shape, so this guide does not either.
• Sea salt: the NIH ODS says noniodized sea salt provides virtually no iodine and that many sea salts are noniodized.
• Fleur de sel: listed by the NIH ODS with the specialty salts that are not usually iodized.
• Himalayan: the NIH ODS lists this specialty type among the salts that are not usually iodized. Our separate article covers it in detail; this guide makes no mineral claims for any salt.

USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy has a single salt entry, “Salt, table”, and no separate entries for kosher, sea, Himalayan or other specialty salts, so this guide lists no sodium values for those salt types. Sodium per teaspoon of a specialty salt depends on the product, and the FDA Nutrition Facts label on the box is the place to check it.

Sodium in table salt from USDA data

The table lists the USDA SR Legacy entry for table salt (FDC ID 173468) at the household measures USDA gives for it, with the gram weight of each measure from the same entry. The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 milligrams for sodium from 21 CFR 101.9.

In USDA data, one teaspoon of table salt weighs 6 grams and lists 2,325 milligrams of sodium, which is 101% of the FDA Daily Value; a tablespoon lists 6,976 milligrams, 303% of the FDA Daily Value. A dash, which USDA weighs at 0.4 grams, lists 155 milligrams in USDA data, or 7% of the FDA Daily Value. The FDA’s general guide to the %DV says 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is considered low and 20% DV or more is considered high.

Sodium words on salt and salty food labels

FDA’s sodium page explains the claim words you may see on packages, including packages of seasoning blends and snacks. The list below gives the FDA meaning of each claim per serving.

• Salt/Sodium-Free: less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving, per the FDA.
• Very Low Sodium: 35 milligrams of sodium or less per serving, per the FDA.
• Low Sodium: 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving, per the FDA.
• Reduced Sodium: at least 25% less sodium than the regular product, per the FDA.
• Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted: at least 50% less sodium than the regular product, per the FDA.
• No-Salt-Added or Unsalted: the FDA says no salt is added during processing, but these products may not be salt or sodium free unless stated.

Salts that replace part of the sodium chloride with other minerals are a separate topic; our salt substitutes guide covers them, and our low sodium cheese list compares one salty food group.

Salt types for home pickling and canning

NCHFP, whose guidance is adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, gives the clearest advice on which salt types to keep for pickling. In its words, “Use of canning or pickling salt is recommended.” NCHFP says pickles, fermented or not, may be made with either iodized or non-iodized table salt, but that the non-caking materials added to table salts may make the brine cloudy.

• Canning or pickling salt: the type NCHFP recommends for pickling.
• Table salt, iodized or not: NCHFP says either can be used for pickles, fermented or not, with possible cloudy brine from non-caking materials.
• Flake salt: NCHFP says it varies in density and is not recommended for use in pickling.
• Reduced-sodium salts: NCHFP says they may be used in quick pickle recipes as its guide indicates, and that “use of reduced-sodium salt in fermented pickle recipes is not recommended.”

NCHFP also warns that the salt in sauerkraut and brined pickles is part of the tested recipe, so the amount should not be cut. For store-bought pickled cucumbers and their sodium, see our pickles article.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Types of Vinegar: FDA Definitions, Acidity and USDA Values, Himalayan Salt vs Sea Salt vs Table Salt: What Really Differs, Salt Substitutes: Potassium Chloride, Safety and Salt Alternatives, Low Sodium Foods: USDA List, Foods High in Sodium and Label Terms.