Pork Products

Pork, cured, ham -- water added, shank, bone-in, separable lean only, unheated

Parameters

Sodium: 1,040 mg
Salt, derived: 2.64 %
Water: 76.5 g
Brine concentration: 3.34 %
Moisture-protein ratio: 4.11 : 1

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 168336. 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
            = 1,040 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.644 g per 100 g
brine %     = 100 x salt / (salt + water)     [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
            = 100 x 2.644 / (2.644 + 76.5) = 3.340 %
MPR         = water % / protein % = 76.5 / 18.6 = 4.113 : 1

Full composition, per 100 g

Nutrient	Value	Unit
Water	76.5	g
Calcium	7.00	mg
Potassium	229.0	mg
Total fat	1.87	g
Protein	18.6	g
Iron	0.76	mg
Sodium	1,040.0	mg
Cholesterol	50.0	mg
Energy	91.0	kcal
Saturated fat	0.59	g
Carbohydrate	0.71	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, SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2026-09-04.