Hidden Names for Salt, Decoded.
Salt hides behind dozens of names on food labels — sodium compounds, flavour enhancers, preservatives, and processing agents. All contribute to your daily sodium intake. This reference decodes every name, by type. Free. Open. No paywall.
The NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt (2.4g sodium) per day for adults. The average UK adult consumes around 8g. Most of that hidden salt comes not from the salt shaker but from processed and ultra-processed food. Knowing what to look for on a label is the first step.
Methodology · Sources · Caveats
Why this matters. Nutrition labels show salt content but ingredients lists use chemical names. Sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, sodium bicarbonate, disodium phosphate — all contribute to sodium intake but none say "salt." This reference names every sodium-contributing ingredient.
How to convert. Salt = sodium × 2.5. A product with 0.8g sodium per 100g contains 2g of salt per 100g. High salt is more than 1.5g per 100g (0.6g sodium). Low salt is 0.3g or less per 100g (0.1g sodium).
Sources. UK Food Standards Agency; NHS salt guidance; EFSA sodium opinion; UK Food Information Regulations 2014; peer-reviewed cardiovascular literature.
Verdicts. Worth flagging — significant sodium contribution or additional health concern beyond sodium content alone. Worth knowing — context-specific note. It's still salt — contributes sodium to your daily intake regardless of the name used.
What this is not. Not medical advice. Some sodium is essential. For dietary guidance on sodium restriction consult a GP or registered dietitian.
Why this is free. Per SCANSMART's Belongs-to-Everyone Rule.
Sources
- UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) — salt reduction targets; high/low salt thresholds
- NHS — daily salt recommendation (6g/day); sodium-to-salt conversion (×2.5)
- EFSA — sodium adequate intake opinion (2019)
- UK Food Information Regulations 2014 — allergen declaration (sulphites >10ppm); labelling rules
- CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) — UK salt intake data
- Primary literature — cardiovascular outcomes of sodium reduction (He & MacGregor); processed meat and sodium nitrite (Lancet Oncology, 2015)
Verdicts reflect the regulatory and evidence position as of May 2026. Some sodium is essential — this reference is not a case for zero sodium.
Where this reference connects.
For deeper evidence-vault treatment connecting this reference to the SCANSMART analytical framework, see: Impulse Buying Triggers · Food Marketing to Kids · Brand vs Manufacturer · Reformulation Tracking (the PHE / OHID Salt Reduction Programme evidence, He et al. 2014 BMJ Open, 15% population intake reduction 2003–2011) · Cultural Food Myths · Global Staple Foods · Dietary Patterns (DASH and DASH-Sodium evidence base) · Carbohydrate Types · Caffeine and Health · Industry Funding Bias in Nutrition Research · UPF Brain & Cognitive Claims · Children’s Oral Health · Behaviour Change & Decision-Point Capture.
Reference-format consistency pass · 11 May 2026 · Stale-date reminder: re-check after next OHID Salt Reduction Programme report and SACN salt-and-health update · SCANSMART is a food literacy and decision-support platform. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice.