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Table salt, sea salt or rock salt? How they differ in taste, grain and additives – and when iodised salt makes sense.
Short answer: No salt is "healthy" in the strict sense – all table salts are about 98 percent sodium chloride or more. Sea salt, Himalayan salt and fleur de sel provide no meaningful amounts of minerals and hardly any iodine. Because iodine intake in Germany is not ideal, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) and the BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) recommend iodised salt for home cooking, ideally with fluoride – and used sparingly, at most about 6 grams of salt a day in total.
Most table salt in the shops is evaporated salt: salt from underground deposits is dissolved, purified and crystallised again – very pure sodium chloride with a fine grain. Many brands are iodised, often with added fluoride as well (in Germany). That's not a drawback, it's a deliberate way to improve people's intake.
To stop it clumping, salt may contain anti-caking agents such as the ferrocyanides E 535 or E 536. EFSA re-evaluated them in 2018: hardly absorbed, no build-up in the body, no concerns about genetic damage or cancer, and intake well below the acceptable daily intake. With or without anti-caking agent is a matter of taste, not a health question.
Very fine crystals dissolve instantly and spread across your tongue, so the salty hit is more direct than with coarse crystals or flakes – and it's easy to use too much. More on seasoning: healthy spices.
Sea salt is made by evaporating seawater, rock salt comes from deposits left by ancient seas, and Himalayan salt is pink rock salt from Pakistan. All of them are almost entirely sodium chloride: according to the Verbraucherzentrale (Germany's consumer advice centre), Himalayan salt is about 98 percent sodium chloride, and the rest doesn't add anything worth mentioning to your mineral intake; the same goes for sea salt. For magnesium and co., pumpkin seeds, walnuts or oats do a much better job. The salts differ mainly in taste, texture and price.
| Type of salt | Origin | Iodine | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iodised salt (table salt) | evaporated salt, iodised, often with fluoride | yes, added | everyday cooking, baking |
| Rock salt | mined from salt deposits | only when iodised | cooking water, everyday cooking |
| Sea salt | evaporated seawater | hardly any, except iodised versions | finishing, veg, fish, salads |
| Himalayan salt | pink rock salt from Pakistan | no | taste and looks, no health benefits |
| Fleur de sel | thin top layer skimmed from salt pans | hardly any | only for seasoning at the end |
The DGE points out that non-iodised sea salt contains only marginally more iodine than non-iodised table salt. If you like sea salt, you can also buy iodised sea salt.
Your thyroid needs iodine to work. Soils in Germany are low in iodine, and according to the BfR the natural levels in food aren't enough. Data from the Robert Koch Institute (Germany's public health institute) show that about 30 percent of adults and 44 percent of children and teenagers take in less iodine than their estimated requirement. Among children and teenagers, iodine intake has fallen by about 13 percent since the mid-2000s. One reason, according to the BfR: bakeries, butchers and food manufacturers use iodised salt less often.
So the BfR recommends, among other things:
The DGE recommends: if you use table salt, choose one with iodine and fluoride; the WHO advises that all salt eaten should be iodised. More on iodine. If you have a thyroid condition, agree your iodine intake with your doctor – see Hashimoto's and diet.
Iodised salt doesn't mean more salt. The DGE gives a guide value of at most 6 grams of table salt a day, about one teaspoon. The WHO recommends even less for adults: under 5 grams. In fact, according to the DGE, about 70 percent of women and 80 percent of men in Germany eat more than that. This matters because, according to the WHO, a lot of salt mainly raises blood pressure and with it the chance of cardiovascular disease. If you have high blood pressure or kidney disease, talk to your doctor about the right amount for you.
Most of it doesn't come from the salt cellar but from bread, cold meats, cheese and ready meals. Cooking more yourself and seasoning with herbs cuts your intake most effectively; for the rest, use iodised salt.
Fine salt packs more densely: a teaspoon of fine salt holds more salt than a teaspoon of coarse salt. If you switch types and measure the same way, it's easy to oversalt.
| Use | Best type of salt |
|---|---|
| Pasta and potato water | coarse salt, sparingly |
| Soups and sauces | fine iodised salt |
| Roast veg | fine or medium iodised salt |
| Fish, salad, tomatoes | a little flaky salt or fleur de sel to finish |
| Baking | fine iodised salt, measured exactly |
With simple foods such as tomatoes, avocado, eggs or potatoes, the finishing salt really stands out – good olive oil goes well with it too (How to spot really good olive oil).
Fleur de sel is skimmed as a thin layer from the surface of the water in salt pans. Sprinkle it on at the end, over fish, tomato salad or dessert – during cooking it loses its texture. For every day, iodised table salt is all you need.
Ideas: Mediterranean recipes and meal prep recipes.
Keep it airtight in glass, ceramic or stainless steel, and not next to the hob or dishwasher – moisture makes it clump. Don't season directly over steaming pans; for salt without anti-caking agent, a few grains of rice in the shaker help.
No. The DGE, BfR and WHO all explicitly recommend iodised salt. What makes salt – any kind – a problem is mainly eating too much of it.
Only in traces that don't add anything worth mentioning to your intake. Neither contains much iodine unless it's iodised.
No. According to EFSA's 2018 re-evaluation, there are no safety concerns at the permitted levels.
DGE: up to 6 grams a day (about one teaspoon); WHO: under 5 grams – including the salt in bread, cheese, cold meats and ready-made foods.
Dairy products and sea fish make a good contribution to your iodine intake. Even so, the BfR also recommends using iodised salt consistently at home. If you eat vegan, are pregnant or breastfeeding, you're at higher risk of not getting enough and should talk to your doctor about it.
An inexpensive iodised salt with fluoride is the best choice for most households – anti-caking agent included. Sea salt, Himalayan salt or fleur de sel are a question of taste and texture. More important than the type is the amount: salt sparingly, cook more yourself, and season with herbs and acidity.
This article does not replace advice from a doctor or a registered dietitian.