Cold cuts and cured meats
Ham
Parameters
- Sodium
- 1,149 mg
- Salt, derived
- 2.92 %
- Water
- 71.9 g
- Brine concentration
- 3.90 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 3.78 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, Survey (FNDDS), FDC ID 2705878. 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
= 1,149 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.921 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 2.921 / (2.921 + 71.9) = 3.904 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 71.9 / 19.0 = 3.776 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 19.0 | g |
| Total fat | 3.87 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.58 | g |
| Energy | 117.0 | kcal |
| Water | 71.9 | g |
| Calcium | 8.00 | mg |
| Iron | 0.84 | mg |
| Potassium | 371.0 | mg |
| Sodium | 1,149.0 | mg |
| Cholesterol | 54.0 | mg |
| Saturated fat | 1.29 | g |
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, Survey (FNDDS), published 2024-10-31. Retrieved 2026-09-04.