Cold cuts and cured meats
Pastrami, NFS
Parameters
- Sodium
- 1,078 mg
- Salt, derived
- 2.74 %
- Water
- 69.5 g
- Brine concentration
- 3.79 %
- Moisture-protein ratio
- 3.19 : 1
USDA FoodData Central, Survey (FNDDS), FDC ID 2706183. 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
= 1,078 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.740 g per 100 g
brine % = 100 x salt / (salt + water) [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
= 100 x 2.740 / (2.740 + 69.5) = 3.792 %
MPR = water % / protein % = 69.5 / 21.8 = 3.189 : 1Full composition, per 100 g
| Nutrient | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21.8 | g |
| Total fat | 5.82 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.36 | g |
| Energy | 147.0 | kcal |
| Water | 69.5 | g |
| Calcium | 10.0 | mg |
| Iron | 2.22 | mg |
| Potassium | 210.0 | mg |
| Sodium | 1,078.0 | mg |
| Cholesterol | 68.0 | mg |
| Saturated fat | 2.68 | 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
- Pastrami, beef, 98% fat-free
- Pastrami, made from any kind of meat, reduced fat
- Pastrami, turkey
- Pate de foie gras, canned (goose liver pate), smoked
Source: USDA FoodData Central, Survey (FNDDS), published 2024-10-31. Retrieved 2026-09-04.