Sausages and Luncheon Meats
Ham salad spread
Parameters
- Sodium
- 1,080 mg
- Salt, derived
- 2.75 %
- Water
- 62.6 g
- Brine concentration
- 4.20 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 7.21 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 173866. 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
= 1,080 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.745 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 2.745 / (2.745 + 62.6) = 4.201 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 62.6 / 8.7 = 7.212 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 10.6 | g |
| Sodium | 1,080.0 | mg |
| Saturated fat | 5.05 | g |
| Energy | 216.0 | kcal |
| Water | 62.6 | g |
| Total fat | 15.5 | g |
| Calcium | 8.00 | mg |
| Potassium | 150.0 | mg |
| Protein | 8.68 | g |
| Iron | 0.59 | mg |
| Cholesterol | 37.0 | 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.