Cold cuts and cured meats
Ham, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat
Parameters
- Sodium
- 890 mg
- Salt, derived
- 2.26 %
- Water
- 75.7 g
- Brine concentration
- 2.90 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 4.53 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, Survey (FNDDS), FDC ID 2706206. 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
= 890 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.262 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 2.262 / (2.262 + 75.7) = 2.902 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 75.7 / 16.7 = 4.533 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 16.7 | g |
| Total fat | 3.73 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.27 | g |
| Energy | 101.0 | kcal |
| Water | 75.7 | g |
| Calcium | 5.00 | mg |
| Iron | 0.58 | mg |
| Potassium | 425.0 | mg |
| Sodium | 890.0 | mg |
| Cholesterol | 41.0 | mg |
| Saturated fat | 1.12 | 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
- Ham, honey, smoked, cooked
- Ham, minced
- Ham, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat, reduced sodium
- Ham, prosciutto
Source: USDA FoodData Central, Survey (FNDDS), published 2024-10-31. Retrieved 2026-09-04.