Sausages and Luncheon Meats

Sausage, pork, turkey, and beef, reduced sodium

Parameters

Sodium: 679 mg
Salt, derived: 1.73 %
Water: 60.1 g
Brine concentration: 2.79 %
Moisture-protein ratio: 5.62 : 1

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 173883. 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
            = 679 / 1000 x 2.5420 = 1.726 g per 100 g
brine %     = 100 x salt / (salt + water)     [FSIS-GD-2016-0002]
            = 100 x 1.726 / (1.726 + 60.1) = 2.792 %
MPR         = water % / protein % = 60.1 / 10.7 = 5.617 : 1

Full composition, per 100 g

Nutrient	Value	Unit
Total fat	26.8	g
Carbohydrate	0.11	g
Energy	284.0	kcal
Water	60.1	g
Calcium	24.0	mg
Potassium	240.0	mg
Protein	10.7	g
Iron	1.60	mg
Sodium	679.0	mg
Cholesterol	70.0	mg
Saturated fat	10.7	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.