Parameters Tested
Sodium Chloride
As per FSS Regulations, sodium chloride content in the salt shall not be less than 96 per cent by weight on dry basis.
Sodium chloride content was as per the requirement in all the brands.
It was highest in Aashirvaad (97.95 percent) and lowest in the Tata brands (96.61 percent).
Sodium in Tata Salt Lite (low sodium) was found to be higher (35.87 gm/100gm) than the claimed value (33.2 gm/100gm). Sodium in Saffola Salt Plus (less sodium) was found to be 33.77 gm, less than the claimed value of 35.3 gm (this may be beneficial for consumers who want less sodium in their iodised salt). Iodine
As per FSS Regulations, iodine content in edible iodised salt at retailer level shall not be less than 15 ppm (parts per million) on dry weight basis.
Iodine content was as per FSS specification in all the brands.
It was highest in Saffola (47.78 ppm) in the ‘low sodium’ category. In regular ‘iodised salt’ category, Aashirvaad contained the highest quantity of iodine (47.63 ppm). The high iodine content in Saffola and Aashirvaad is good for consumers who need to make up for any iodine deficiency they may have.
Iodine content was found lowest in JMD Good Health (18.47 ppm). Packaging
The material shall be packed in food-grade plastic. The thickness of the plastic film used for packing shall be not less than 50 microns.
All the brands were in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging Marking
The following particulars shall be marked/labelled on each pack:
Name of material and trademark, if any
Name and address of manufacturer
Batch or code number
Net weight
Date of manufacture
Iodine content
MRP
Instruction for storage
FSSAI license number
Customer-care details
Green dot for vegetarian status
Any nutritional claim is optional.
All brands had labelling as required.
For Physicochemical Parameters
Sodium/Sodium chloride
The minimum requirement for sodium chloride is
97 per cent.
ISI-marked brand Fresh & Pure did not meet the
requirement. Tata I-Shakti and Reliance were very
close to the minimum requirement. All other brands
met the requirement. In the refined category, Tata
and Nirma met the requirement fully and hence scored
highest.
The proprietary brands Saffola Less Sodium and Tata
Low Sodium did not meet their claims for sodium.
Saffola Less Sodium had 36.77 per cent sodium
against their claim of 35.3 per cent. Tata Low Sodium
had 37.38 per cent sodium against the claimed 33.2
per cent. Iodine Content
The mandatory requirement for iodine content
in salt is not less than 15 parts per million (ppm) at
retail/consumer level and 30 ppm at manufacture
level.
All the brands except Tata Salt Plus (double-fortified)
were found with iodine content well above the
standard requirement of 15 ppm at retail level. The
iodine content in Tata Salt Plus was slightly less at
14.83 ppm.
In the refined category, iodine was found highest in
Tata and Tata I-Shakti. A higher amount of iodine is
good for consumers. Matter soluble in water other than NaCl
FSS Regulations have specified the requirement
as not more than 3.0 per cent for iodised salts and 2.5
per cent for fortified salts. As per Indian Standard,
the limits are 3 per cent for iodised salt and 1 per cent
for refined and vacuum-evaporated salt.
In the refined category, Nirma and Tata scored
highest on this parameter.
ISI-marked brands Ankur Gold and Fresh & Pure
failed to meet the requirement. Tata I-Shakti (refined
iodised salt) also did not meet this requirement. Water-insoluble matter
Water-insoluble matter refers to mineral salts
contained in salt and solid brine (water-insoluble
Comparative Test
CONSUMER VOICE Febru ary 2017 • 13
impurity). Water-insoluble matter is also known as
insoluble residual material. FSS Regulations and Indian
Standard require that water-insoluble matter in salt is
not more than 1.0 per cent by weight on dry basis.
Highest amount of water-insoluble matter was found
in Saffola Less Sodium (1.14 per cent). However, it
being a proprietary brand, the requirements set by the
law are not applicable.
All other brands were found well within the specified
limit.
Spencer was found to have the lowest amount of
insoluble matter. Moisture
Moisture generally refers to the presence of water
in a product. It may be noted that less amount of
moisture is better as it translates into a longer shelf
life for the product. As per FSS Regulations, moisture
content shall not be more than 6 per cent in iodised
salt and not more than 1.5 per cent in double-fortified
salt. As per Indian Standard, maximum moisture
content is 6 per cent for iodised salt and 0.5 per cent
for refined and vacuum-evaporated salts.
Fresh & Pure and Patanjali, both ISI-marked brands,
failed to meet the IS requirement for moisture (a
maximum 0.5 per cent for refined and vacuumevaporated
salts). Tata I-Shakti and Tata also did not
meet the IS requirement.
In refined category, the lowest moisture content was
found in Taal (0.03 per cent).
Moisture content in all other brands was within the
specified limit. Alkalinity
The maximum permissible alkalinity is 0.15 per cent.
All the brands were well within the specified limit. Physical observation
The salt shall be free from visible contamination
with clay, grit or other extraneous adulterants or
impurities.
All brands cleared the test. Particle size
As per Indian Standard, a minimum 95 per
cent (by mass) of the material shall pass through a
1,000-micron sieve. Also, not more than 10 per cent
(by mass) shall pass through a 150-micron IS sieve.
All the brands were well within the specified limit. Calcium
The Indian Standard has set the maximum
permissible limit for calcium in refined and vacuumevaporated
salt at 0.15 per cent.
All the brands were well below the specified limit. Magnesium
As per Indian Standard, the maximum limit for
magnesium is 0.10 per cent in refined and vacuum evaporated
salt. FSS Regulations have set the same
requirement for double-fortified salt.
All brands except Tata showed results within the
specified limit. Sulphate
For sulphate, the Indian Standard has specified
the maximum permissible limit as 0.60 per cent for
refined and vacuum-evaporated salt, and 1.1 per cent
for double-fortified salt.
All the brands were within the specified limit. Lead
The limit is a maximum 2.5 ppm.
All the brands were well within the specified limit. Arsenic
The limit is a maximum 1.1 ppm.
All the brands were within the specified limit.
