Sausages and Luncheon Meats
Beef, cured, luncheon meat, jellied
Parameters
- Sodium
- 1,320 mg
- Salt, derived
- 3.36 %
- Water
- 74.6 g
- Brine concentration
- 4.30 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 3.93 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 170202. 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
= 1,320 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 3.355 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 3.355 / (3.355 + 74.6) = 4.304 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 74.6 / 19.0 = 3.926 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Saturated fat | 1.41 | g |
| Iron | 3.45 | mg |
| Sodium | 1,320.0 | mg |
| Protein | 19.0 | g |
| Cholesterol | 34.0 | mg |
| Total fat | 3.30 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.00 | g |
| Energy | 111.0 | kcal |
| Water | 74.6 | g |
| Calcium | 10.0 | mg |
| Potassium | 402.0 | mg |
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
- Beef, cured, corned beef, canned
- Beef, cured, dried
- Beef, cured, pastrami
- Beef, dried, chipped, cooked in fat
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2026-09-04.