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Sausages and Luncheon Meats

Sausage, breakfast sausage, beef, pre-cooked, unprepared

Parameters

Sodium
904 mg
Salt, derived
2.30 %
Water
51.2 g
Brine concentration
4.30 %
Moisture-protein ratio
3.97 : 1

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 174616. 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
            = 904 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 2.298 g per 100 g
brine %     = 100 x salt / (salt + water)     [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
            = 100 x 2.298 / (2.298 + 51.2) = 4.295 %
MPR         = water % / protein % = 51.2 / 12.9 = 3.969 : 1

Full composition, per 100 g

NutrientValueUnit
Total fat28.2g
Carbohydrate4.61g
Energy327.0kcal
Water51.2g
Calcium29.0mg
Potassium285.0mg
Cholesterol60.0mg
Saturated fat11.3g
Iron1.45mg
Sodium904.0mg
Protein12.9g

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.