Trace minerals concentration calculations

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Winter 2007 (Vol. 38, No. 4)

Reading the label is not the same as understanding what you read. Don’t mistake the mineral concentration in the salt mix with dietary concentration. Mineral in a trace min­eralized salt mix can be quite high relative to the concentration in the normal diet. The salt mix is typically included at less than one percent of the total diet, so it will not cause a toxicity problem. Because of the different units and calculations involved, many produc­ers often assume that the ingredient with the highest concentrations is the cause of their problem. However, knowing the intake and nutrient concentration for each ingredient of the diet is essential to determine the true source of the toxicity.