It is said that salt entered human life with the advent of cooking habits, and its use began with the discovery of earthen pots and dishes. Initially, seawater was used in cooking, and gradually, the use of and production of salt began.
The source of salt includes salty waters from seas and lakes, including those obtained from underground. Evaporating sea water is one of the oldest methods used to obtain salt. After salt is mined or evaporated, it is selected based on quality, then crushed, and finally sieved according to particle size. Highly refined salt with very small particles is used as table salt. According to the Turkish Food Codex - Table Salt Notification, table salt is salt suitable for human consumption, produced from raw salt whose main ingredient is sodium chloride (sodium chloride content must be at least 98% in dry matter).
Table salts are divided into two categories: table salt for direct consumer use and salts used in the food industry. Table salt is finely powdered, iodine-enriched, refined or unrefined salt presented directly to the consumer. Refining processes can be as simple as basic washing or as extensive as large-scale mechanized vacuum evaporation systems.
The lack of sufficient iodine in foodstuffs has led to the practice of adding iodine to salt in more than 100 countries worldwide. Iodine is added to salt in the form of potassium iodide or iodate, either as a dry solid or diluted solution during production. For fine-grained table and cooking salts, a spraying method is preferred. Potassium iodate is sprayed onto salt passing through a conveyor at three atmospheres.
The goal of iodizing salt programs is to provide consumers with a sufficiently iodized, enriched product. The availability of iodine in iodized salt to the consumer depends on the amount of iodine added, its homogeneous distribution in the packages, and losses during distribution and storage. If stored under high humidity conditions without waterproof packaging, iodine can be lost. The amount of iodine is preserved unchanged if the salt is packaged in a material that is impermeable to water and air, and kept dry, cool, and away from light.
May our lives be full of flavor, and our salt just right.
