Pork Products

Pork, fresh, leg (ham), shank half, separable lean only, raw

Parameters

Sodium: 90 mg
Salt, derived: 0.23 %
Water: 74.9 g
Brine concentration: 0.30 %
Moisture-protein ratio: 3.45 : 1

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 168228. 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
            = 90 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 0.229 g per 100 g
brine %     = 100 x salt / (salt + water)     [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
            = 100 x 0.229 / (0.229 + 74.9) = 0.305 %
MPR         = water % / protein % = 74.9 / 21.7 = 3.452 : 1

Full composition, per 100 g

Nutrient	Value	Unit
Iron	0.77	mg
Sodium	90.0	mg
Protein	21.7	g
Cholesterol	66.0	mg
Saturated fat	0.92	g
Total fat	2.95	g
Energy	119.0	kcal
Water	74.9	g
Calcium	12.0	mg
Potassium	329.0	mg
Carbohydrate	0.00	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.