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Sausages and Luncheon Meats

Bratwurst, pork, beef and turkey, lite, smoked

Parameters

Sodium
982 mg
Salt, derived
2.50 %
Water
65.9 g
Brine concentration
3.65 %
Moisture-protein ratio
4.58 : 1

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 172958. 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
            = 982 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.496 g per 100 g
brine %     = 100 x salt / (salt + water)     [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
            = 100 x 2.496 / (2.496 + 65.9) = 3.650 %
MPR         = water % / protein % = 65.9 / 14.4 = 4.576 : 1

Full composition, per 100 g

NutrientValueUnit
Calcium14.0mg
Iron0.94mg
Sodium982.0mg
Cholesterol56.0mg
Potassium246.0mg
Water65.9g
Total fat13.5g
Protein14.4g
Carbohydrate1.62g
Energy186.0kcal

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.