Sausages and Luncheon Meats
Bacon and beef sticks
Parameters
- Sodium
- 1,420 mg
- Salt, derived
- 3.61 %
- Water
- 21.6 g
- Brine concentration
- 14.32 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 0.74 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 174602. All values are per 100 g of the food as described. Retrieved 2026-09-04. Source record
How the derived figures were obtained
salt % = sodium mg / 1000 x 2.5420 / 100 x 100
= 1,420 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 3.610 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 3.610 / (3.610 + 21.6) = 14.318 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 21.6 / 29.1 = 0.742 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 29.1 | g |
| Iron | 1.86 | mg |
| Sodium | 1,420.0 | mg |
| Cholesterol | 102.0 | mg |
| Saturated fat | 16.0 | g |
| Total fat | 44.2 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.80 | g |
| Water | 21.6 | g |
| Calcium | 14.0 | mg |
| Potassium | 385.0 | mg |
| Energy | 517.0 | kcal |
What these figures do and do not say
The brine concentration above is computed from this food's own sodium and water using the FSIS formula, 100 x salt / (salt + water). It is a description of a finished commercial product, not a target. FSIS cites 10 percent brine after equalisation as the figure that prevents Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin production during warm drying, and 9 CFR 319.106(b)(4) requires not less than 10 percent for a dry cured ham made without nitrate or nitrite.
Water activity cannot be computed from composition. It is a measurement, and it is the measurement that decides shelf stability. The published limits are 0.85 in air and 0.91 vacuum packed, both from FSIS-GD-2014-0010.
Nearby entries
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2026-09-04.