
Firstly, it is important to note that whilst the terms’ sodium’ and ‘salt’ are often used interchangeably, they are definitely not, strictly speaking, the same thing. So what are the differences? Sodium is a naturally-occurring mineral that is food in foods or is added as part of the production process. It is found in all kinds of foods such as celery, milk and beets. But given its usage in the manufacturing process, pre-prepared foods have some of the highest quantities of sodium around. Table salt, on the other hand, is a combination of the naturally-occurring sodium but also chloride. About 90% of the sodium we eat comes in this format due to how prolific it is across a broad range of foods. The rest of our intake comes from other sodium-containing items, things such as baked goods which have sodium bicarbonate in, for example. These types of sodium products are used to preserve the food or enhance it in some way, such as giving it a better colour or firmer texture.
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