Sausages and Luncheon Meats
Ham and cheese spread
Parameters
- Sodium
- 1,200 mg
- Salt, derived
- 3.05 %
- Water
- 59.1 g
- Brine concentration
- 4.91 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 3.65 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 171629. 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
= 1,200 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 3.050 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 3.050 / (3.050 + 59.1) = 4.908 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 59.1 / 16.2 = 3.648 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 16.2 | g |
| Cholesterol | 61.0 | mg |
| Saturated fat | 8.62 | g |
| Iron | 0.76 | mg |
| Sodium | 1,200.0 | mg |
| Total fat | 18.5 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 2.28 | g |
| Energy | 245.0 | kcal |
| Water | 59.1 | g |
| Calcium | 217.0 | mg |
| Potassium | 162.0 | 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
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2026-09-04.