If you work with (or own) a salt company and have more recent (or more accurate / more specific) test results than what is listed below, please do share that with me and I will update the post! Thank you!
A collaboration with my readers
LeadSafeMama.com is different from pretty much every other website out there — much of the work here at Lead Safe Mama is a collaborative effort with readers and friends. With the consumer goods test results posted here on LeadSafeMama.com, while I do XRF testing of consumer goods (because I often have access to an instrument and because I am the one trained and certified in doing the testing), my readers and friends and supporters choose what I test and report on and they also help pay for the testing.
There are also other collaborative efforts with my readers and friends and this post (about Lead in salt) is one example: the information on this post is an ongoing effort by one of my friends (Gina Rolfsmeier) – and the “collaboration” here is that she has agreed for me to share her independent research publicly (and I am going to do my best to explain what these Lead readings mean for you and to further document her initial findings). You can also participate in the collaboration by letting me know which salt you use at home, and (if you can find it) what the Lead levels for that salt are (and I will update the post with that information as I hear from my readers!) Thank you for your engagement and participation in this conversation.
So what is this list?
I am so grateful that, in response to inquires by other concerned parents in our Facebook group, Gina took the time to compile this list. So what is this list? It’s a list – a work in progress – of various companies who produce (mine, collect, gather), package and sell salt for use in cooking, along with how much Lead (in parts per billion) is known to be in each brand of salt (in most cases, as reported by the producer of the product.) Gina (and other Lead Safe Mama friends and readers) either contacted companies directly for this information, or found it online in their publicly available product information (or in some cases was able to collect this information from other independent sources who did testing of products from that brand.)
And why was this list put together?
This list was compiled with the intention that it would be an informal summary of Lead levels in salt for parents to reference in making safer choices for their families. As such, all of the items in the list below are not yet linked to documentation supporting the Lead levels for that brand (confirming the numbers posted in the list below), but over the coming days and weeks I will research each one (as a follow-up to Gina’s work) and post any available data sheets for each product here on this blog, linking them to the statements below. Since Gina last updated this list in January of 2018, I will also update it with any new information as I find it (including product images and links to those products), so it is as current as possible. If you have reason to believe that any of the information noted below is incorrect, please let me know.
Important to note: parts per million (ppm) vs. parts per billion (ppb)
Some of the companies noted below list the Lead levels for their salt products in parts per million (ppm) in their publicly available documents rather than parts per billion (ppb). 1 ppm is equal to 1,000 ppb. When a company states in their documentation that their salt has “less than 1 ppm” of Lead, we have translated that to ppb (“less than 1,000 ppb”). We did this so all of the measurements are reported below in the same whole number standard (ppb), and because food Lead levels should be reported only in parts per billion (ppb) – as Lead is known to be toxic to humans in food (and water) at levels in the single and double digit ppb range.
Examples of current standards for context and reference:
- Current Organizational & U.S. Federal Regulatory Standards:
- Bottled water is considered illegal for Lead content if it has more than 5 ppb.
- Water in school fountains is considered toxic and unsafe for children (According to The American Academy of Pediatrics) when Lead levels exceed 1 ppb.
- Tap water is considered to be unsafe for human consumption if it exceeds the [relatively high; not protective of human health] U.S. Federal standard of 15 ppb.
- Fruit juice is considered unsafe for children at 50 ppb and up.
- Dried fruit is considered toxic for consumption at 100 ppb and up.
- Candy is considered toxic for consumption at 100 ppb and up.
How accurate is the testing that is being reported by the salt companies?
Companies who are reporting their levels as “less than 1,000 ppb” or “less than 2,000 ppb” may actually have much lower Lead levels, but are not doing testing down to an appropriately low threshold of detection for a product intended to be ingested by humans. If their low threshold of detection is 1 ppm or 2 ppm, it is simply not accurate enough for food testing, given food standards for Lead toxicity are measured in the 1 to 100 ppb range. In the absence of more accurate testing we (unfortunately) need to assume the worst-case scenario (for example, a “less than 1000 ppb” might be 200 ppb or 500 ppb; and it could also possibly be as high as 999 ppb.)
“How concerning are the levels reported? I don’t use very much salt!”
Some might argue that because salt is consumed in such small quantities, a measurement threshold in the ppm range is sufficient. I disagree with this concept, given the extreme toxicity of Lead when ingested – even at very low levels. The negative impacts of Lead on the body are also cumulative over time… so ongoing daily exposure to a very small amount adds up. Additionally it is important to note that (per the study noted below) the claim of “beneficial minerals” in Himalayan salt appears to also be a myth – so not only can Himalayan salt be toxic, but it also may not be “good for you” in the ways that sales pitches assert that it may be.
A recent Australian study determined that in order to ingest a useful quantity of the beneficial minerals from Himalayan salt one would have to consume a toxic amount of that salt (and therefore a toxic dose of the heavy metals in that salt, as well!)
“People would need to consume six teaspoons of pink salt for those nutrients to make a meaningful contribution to their diet, which far exceeds dietary guidelines [for salt intake].” *
*Here’s the link to the October 19, 2020 article (and the above quote) about that study. [Ironically, this study claims to be “the first one” discovering the dangers of pink Himalayan salt – but this is a topic we have been discussing in The Lead (Pb) Group on Facebook for years.]
- Here”s a post I wrote about the concern for Lead in pink salt in 2017.
- Here’s a second post I wrote about pink salt in 2019.
Thanks for being here! Thanks for reading. Please share this post (and the full list below) with your friends, family and others you care about. As always, please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them personally as soon as I have a moment.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Introduction to Tamara (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is an independent advocate for consumer goods safety. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009 and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. Tamara uses XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants, including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic.
Continue reading below the image.
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of my links I may receive a percentage of what you spend at no additional cost to you. High Lead-salt products are linked to their Amazon listing below NOT in order for you to purchase them, but so you can see the listing “in the wild.”
Originally Compiled by Gina Rolfsmeier
Updated: October 22, 2020
Lead Content of Various Salts
The list.
Note: “<“ means “less than”
1 part per million (ppm) = 1,000 parts per billion (ppb)
“Ratings” Context: As a Lead-poisoning prevention activist and mother of Lead-poisoned children it is my stance that salt should be held to the same standards (for Lead toxicity) as other food items (water, candy, dried fruit, etc.) With this context as a guiding principle, salt should fall below 100 ppb in order to be considered safe for normal daily use in your kitchen. Accordingly, my evaluating statements / ratings noted in the lists below (“acceptable“, “moderately unsafe“, and “unsafe“) are based on that context. There is not currently a government agency closely monitoring these levels and evaluating the health implications of regular daily use of salt with higher Lead content for us as consumers. In the absence of appropriate testing and appropriate regulatory standards, consumers need to err on the side of caution.
Additionally, this list is by no means comprehensive, as there are countless variations of salts made by dozens (if not hundreds) of salt companies around the world. If you have a particular salt you use and are curious about, please let me know and I will see about adding it to the list and researching the Lead-level (as found by independent testing sources.)
Group #1) Salts in the “Less than 50 ppb” range
ACCEPTABLE – BEST CHOICES
This is the only sub-category of the salts listed that I would consider 100% acceptable.
- Fusion Matcha Salt: 20 ppb
- Jacobsen Salt Co Sea Salt: 25 ppb [This is the brand I choose to buy for my family!]
- Cyprus Black Mediterranean Sea Salt (from SaltWorks): <30 ppb
- Bali Pyramid Balinese Salt: 30 ppb
- SALTVERK Icelandic Salt: 30 ppb [I also love Icelandic Salt!]
Continue reading below the images.
Group #2) Salts in the “50 to 100 ppb” range
ACCEPTABLE – ALTERNATE CHOICES
These are possible alternates if you cannot find salt in the first category
- Bolivian Rose Andes Mountains Mineral Salt (from SaltWorks): 72 ppb
- Original Himalayan Crystal Salt: <100 ppb
- Mediterra Mediterranean Sea Salt (from SaltWorks): <100 ppb
Group #3) Salts in the “100 to 200 ppb” range
MODERATELY UNSAFE
Use only in very limited quantities or make another choice for your family.
[In the absence of further (and more accurate) testing for any salt with “less than” reading in this section, it is prudent to consider these salts moderately unsafe for consumption.]
- Health Ranger Himalayan: <120 ppb
- Kirkland (Costco) Sea Salt: <120 ppb
- Redmond Real Salt: 167 ppb (this is not a number from Redmond)
Continue reading below the images.
Group #4) Salts in the “200 to 500 ppb” range
(= “Less than 0.5 ppm”)
UNSAFE
[In the absence of further (and more accurate) testing for any salt with “less than” reading in this section, it is prudent to consider these salts unsafe for consumption.]
- Le Paludier Fleur De Sel: 237 ppb
- Kirkland Signature (Costco) Himalayan Pink Salts: 250 ppb
- Himala Salt (“The purest salt on earth”): 250 ppb
- Sunfood Himalayan: 250 ppb
- Jevatee Himalayan Salt: 350 ppb
- Elements of Spice Salt: 412 ppb
- Selina Celtic Sea Salt: <420 ppb
- Natures Cargo Sea Salt: 450 ppb
- Le Paludier Sea Salt: 473 ppb
- Alea Red Hawaiian Sea Salt: <500 ppb
- Hiwa Kai Black Hawaiian Sea Salt: <500 ppb
- Pure Ocean Premium Sea Salt (by SALTWORKS) – (previously named Pure Ocean Atlantic Sea Salt), country of origin: Australia (previously sourced from Brazil): <500 ppb [updated 2/19/2019 – click here to see testing report.]
Continue reading below the images.
Group #5) Salts in the “500 to 1,000 ppb” range
(= “Less than 1 ppm”)
UNSAFE
[In the absence of further (and more accurate) testing for any salt with “less than” reading in this section, it is prudent to consider these salts unsafe for consumption.]
- Maldon Sea Salt: 700 ppb
- Ancient Ocean Himalayan: <1,000 ppb
- Aussie Flake Sea Salt: <1,000 ppb
- Artisan Salt Company Fleur De Sel (Country of origin: France): <1,000 ppb
- Fronteir Co-Op Himalayan Pink Salt: <1,000 ppb
- Fronteir Sea Salt: <1,000 ppb
- El Dorado Mesquite Salt: <1,000 ppb
- Paragon Australian Sea Salt: <1,000 ppb
- Sel Gris French Sea Salt: <1,000 ppb
Continue reading below the images.
Group #6) Salts in the “1000 to 2,000 ppb” range
(= “Less than 2 ppm”)
UNSAFE
[In the absence of further (and more accurate) testing for any salt with “less than” reading in this section, it is prudent to consider these salts unsafe for consumption.]
- Sel Gris De Guerande Sea Salt: 1,300 ppb
- Fusion Black Truffle Salt: <2,000 ppb
- Morton Table/Pickling Salt: <2,000 ppb
Continue reading below the images.
Brands that would not provide data OR had no response to this inquiry
- Hain Sea Salt: Would not provide data
- Penzys: Would not provide data
- San Francisco Salt Company Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt: Would not provide data
- Trader Joes Salts: Would not provide data
- Mountain Rose Herbs Salts: Does not do any heavy metals testing on salt
- Diamond: no response
- Himalaya: no response
- Cerulean Seas: no response
In Conclusion….
- Salt should be below 100 ppb Lead to be considered safe for regular daily consumption and I personally would not use salt with my family if it tested positive for Lead at 50 ppb and above.
- Salt manufacturers should be more transparent in making Lead levels available to consumers.
- Salt manufacturers should be required to do more accurate third party testing of their products so that all salt readings for Lead are given in whole ppb numbers, to the lowest possible threshold of detection (ideally at least to a level of accuracy with a low threshold of detection of 25 ppb or lower.)
- Consumers are creatures of habit – buying the same products for decades. They stick to a brand once they have chosen it. If you are like most consumers in this way (and are likely to buy the same brand of salt every time you purchase salt) please choose wisely and do your research before making that choice.
- It just takes a microscopic amount of Lead to poison a human and we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to eliminate all known sources of Lead from our children’s lives (limiting and removing any potential exposure whenever possible.)
Thanks again for reading! Let me know if you have questions!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
NOTE TO SALT COMPANIES:
If you work with a Salt Company and you have recent (independent, 3rd party) test results you would like to share with me (in a PDF form that I can publish on this blog and link to your company listing above) please email me at TamaraRubin@mac.com. I will also update the list above accordingly if your test results are different than the ones reported here.
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of my links I may receive a percentage of what you spend at no additional cost to you.
~ End ~
What about Morton Iodized Salt? Blue round box. Is that different than the pink sea salts referenced?
Hi There! Scroll down to the bottom of the list (worst offenders section!)
Tamara
Hi Tamara, I see Morton non iodized salt. Is that the same amount as the Morton iodized table salt? Very much appreciated.
Hi Beth
I haven’t seen the test results for that brand – so I don’t have more information than what is stated here. Sorry about that! I think when I have funds I would love to carry out a truly independent study of salt and lead level for various brands.
Tamara
Hi Tamara,
I live in Australia so it is really hard to source these American Brands and Amazon doesn’t ship most of them to Australia I am finding when I click on the link from your article. CRY! do you know if there are any safe options in Australia? My 6 year old just tested high for Lead so I am trying to get her intake to zero! thank you! xxx
Oh! boy – I will see what information I can find for you.
T
Lady from oz here too, would be grateful to know as well. Thank u and ur work Tamara
Hi Tamara! Question regarding Jacobsen salt. Are all of their salts safe or just the one version you linked?
Also, are you concerned with the possibility of plastics in salt?
Thanks!
Hi Tamara
Would you be able to check if David’s Kosher salt safe for consumption. We are in New Zealand and I can’t get the safe ones to consume for my family and me.
I’m not familiar with that brand – but I approved your comment in case someone else reading this might have additional information.
T
I want to know this too about Jacobsen salt!
Thank you!!! I didn’t even know to ask about this : /
Lead in salt is a huge concern I wasnt aware of–thank you so much. BUT and also there is another huge concern..plastics. For years we thought sea salt was OK (I see that you have some brands far safer than others when it comes to lead) but plastics are not safe in the human body and are endocrine disruptors and actually end up IN our organs, it’s a whole thing and could even be a cancer issue. So my question is–which of the safest salts on your list have no plastics? We have sued redmond as it’s a non-ocean salt source (well, ancient water bodies didn’t have plastics…) but now they are not among the best when you consider lead. I would not want to choose betw lead and plastics–we want neither (and salt is important for health). Any thoughts on lead-safe salts with no plastics? Thanks so much! Marcy
I was thinking the same thing. I know that Colima Sea Salt from Ava Jane’s Kitchen is tested for Microplastics and has a lead result of .1 mg/kg which is equivalent to .1 ppm, but it does have some aluminum in it. I would love to see Colima added to this list. Here is their analysis. The downside to this particular salt is it’s expense, but there is another brand from this same region of Mexico. I just don’t know what it’s toxicity testing looks like yet. I have an e-mail in to them.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/helpscout.net/docs/assets/55806b88e4b027e1978e7e24/attachments/5c6b543f2c7d3a66e32e9bc7/Colima-Sea-Salt-Raw-Lab-Results-2018.pdf
Pretty bummed to see Hain on the bottom of the list as not providing any info. I rely on this salt for its added Iodine.
Seaweed, chlorella, spirulina, molasses are great sources of iodine. Beets to a lesser extent. Canned food and baked goods usually use iodized fault, so most people get enough that way. Maca and ashwaghanda both stimulate the thyroid. I have to avoid all these items due to an overactive thyroid.
Fascinating & I have Morton’s as that’s what I grew up with …
Can you recommend a safe salt grinder.
Hi, I work with some food testing labs and their instruments can only detect a minimum of .05 ppm. What state of the art testing method are you using to get readings big labs can not get?
“It’s a list – a work in progress – of various companies who produce (mine, collect, gather), package and sell salt for use in cooking, along with how much Lead (in parts per billion) is known to be in each brand of salt (in most cases, as reported by the producer of the product.) Gina (and other Lead Safe Mama friends and readers) either contacted companies directly for this information, or found it online in their publicly available product information (or in some cases was able to collect this information from other independent sources who did testing of products from that brand.)”
Thank you so much for this! Have you considered sharing your findings with the Center for Science in the Public Interest? It’s a non-profit consumer health advocacy group. They publish “Nutrition Action,” a science-based health newsletter that covers this sort of thing, though I’ve not seen any articles about this topic.
I hope you and your family are able to stay safe and healthy; thank you for your efforts to help ours do the same!
What about plastics? Can you add that info?
Hi!
Does kosher salt have high lead?
Thanks for your website!
Thanks for this. I have a question for you regarding the Kirkland Sea Salt. The Pink Himalayan Salt in general usually is more healthy than white salt as it has more minerals. However, in your blog and testing, you show that the Kirkland Pure Sea Salt Fine Grain (white) has less lead than the pink salt they sell. Would you recommend one weighs which one is more important for health benefits as a consumer? More health minerals or less lead one? If so, which one please?
Can you please kindly respond to the Costco question above? Thank you
The minerals you get from any salt containing them are absolutely tiny. You’d have to eat many spoonfuls per day (potentially fatal sodium doses) to even get like 2% Daily Value of those trace nutrients (They truly are only a trace amount). And at that point, you’d likely also ingest deadly amounts of the lead too.
So no, the trace minerals are not worth even bothering with, let alone offsetting the lead intake. You’re better off eating foods that contain those nutrients (or supplementing if you must, though their trustworthiness is a whole ‘nother can of worms), & finding the lowest-lead & lowest-plastic salt you can.
So it looks like you did not find a safe iodized salt. Costco does have large boxes of iodized salt could you test that?
Thanks, Mimi
How about Club House Sea Salts Grinder?
https://www.clubhouseforchefs.ca/products/brands/grinders/club-house-sea-salt-grinder
A phone call to McCormick Canada revealed that they do not disclose the amount of lead in their salt, because it is “under 10 ppm”.
Woah! Yikes! Thank you so much for that information – I will update the post too.
Tamara
So that is really good and really low, right?
Not at all — 10 ppm (parts per million) would be a whopping 10,000 ppb (parts per billion).
oh dear! ok thank you. i was confused with the ppm and ppb. i really appreciate your reply.
Thank you for researching this and posting it. We have been using the McCormick Sea Salt Grinder, how safe/unsafe is this? I didn’t see it on your lists but I might have missed it.
I wonder about Eden French Celtic Sea Salt. Due to low blood pressure and other health problems, I ingest up to 2.5 Tablespoons of this salt PER DAY. So, a LOT of salt. I also have heavy metal poisoning and am chelating. I would like this salt tested and can provide it if necessary.
Hi Elisabeth – you would have to send it to a lab for testing. I will do my best to find a good lab that people can use. If you do get it tested please share the results with us!
Thanks!
Tamara
Hi! I am wondering about Eden salt too. Did you find any information?
I wrote to Eden and they wrote back:
“Thank you for contacting us. The lead information from previous shipments of the French Celtic Sea Salt results was between 0.444 mg/kg (0.444 ppm) and 0.55 mg/kg (0.55 ppm)”
Thank you for sharing this. In my book – 444 ppb to 550 ppb is still too high, although it is within regulatory limits based on the new EU standards:
https://tamararubin.com/2022/07/from-the-official-journal-of-the-european-union-here-are-the-new-european-limits-for-lead-and-cadmium-in-foodstuffs-including-salt-supplements-as-of-august-2021/
Tamara
I notice the Jacobson salt is from the Oregon coast, which normally I’m sure is pristine. However, with the wildfires, do you have any concern? My understanding is that the ash/soot/etc that happens from fire and pollutes our air and water contains a lot of lead…
Thank you for all the work that you do!
Hi. What’s a good lab to have my salt tested for metals and plastics?
Thanks
Kristyn
Thanks for doing this list!!
I buy nascent iodine liquid to supplement separately as I don’t like manufacturers to choose my nutrients, plus the manufacturing and transport chain is a nasty thing that is full of industrial toxins such as cleaning solutions for the tanks, lubricant for equipment, and the like.
This information is upsetting. I have a condition called, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome and we are advised to eat sometimes 3x the amount of salt per day than the normal person and yet not once has lead been bought up. Thank you for your work.
I’d love to know what Finest Food Fleur de Sel would show. The salt comes from some underground saltwater lake and has been shielded from pollution. It seems to be completely free from microplastic, which most if not all sea salts are not. Would be too good to be true if it was also ok in regards to lead. https://www.finestfoodage.com/en/salz/meersalz-fleur-de-sel
Hi Tamara, after reading this article, I emailed Redmond Real Salt and asked them if their salt products contain any lead. I own many of their products at homes so I was concerned for my own health. Their reply:
“Thank you for contacting us with your question. Redmond Real Salt is 3rd party lab tested for mercury, lead, arsenic etc. and the current analysis reflects none found.
-Rick”
I’m a little skeptical by their response and would liked it if they gave me more information about their testing or showed me the reports of the analysis, but I was wondering what your thoughts are on this…
They are not testing to appropriate low thresholds of detection. They are likely only testing to 1 PART PER MILLION or 5 PARTS PER MILLION – which are (respectively) 1,000 parts per BILLION or 5,000 parts per BILLION. By not doing appropriately accurate testing they get to say “they didn’t find any Lead.”
Tamara
Is it possible that we are fretting over this salt situation too much? Last week when this was trending I was thinking about throwing my Redmond’s real salt out. But honestly I think the stress over the whole thing is worse than the 1 part per million that might contain some negligible amount of iron. I asked Realfoodgangstas (east west healing) and they said they use Redmond’s even though it has the pink hues. I just think perhaps there are bigger things to focus on for our health and I honestly don’t know if switching my salt brand will be the cure all to make me healthy and vibrant.
Redmond is one of the most HORRIBLE greenwashing companies out there. I have met the owner. In spite of what he knows about his products (from testing he has done himself) he doesn’t appear to care that he is misleading the public about the Lead content in his products. He’s horrible. I would never buy anything from them, ever.
Please read about their EarthPaste products here on my site: https://tamararubin.com/category/earthpaste/
Tamara
Hi Tamara,
Could you please recommend any safe regular salt? Non sea salt? Thank you very much!
Michelle, my kids have permanent brain damage from being lead poisoned. I live this every day. If you choose NOT to worry about this for yourself, that’s fine with me. I will NEVER intentionally feed my children something that tests positive for Lead. NEVER.Know better, do better.
If you have not seen my documentary feature film here’s the link, please consider watching it to better understand the issue – so you will make well informed decisions based on science – out of the mouths of scientists: https://tamararubin.com/2021/01/my-film-passed-300000-views-on-youtube-today-heres-the-link-to-watch-it-if-you-have-not-yet/
Tamara
Lead is a serious health concern – Damages the brain and nervous system, and causes cancer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning
There is no safe level, and there are so many sources in modern life, that it has become necessary to be vigilant about all sources, because no matter how careful, you are already getting too much.
Thanks a lot for this. This is great. I have a question about Saltworks. When I take a look at their website and certification, I see this for all their products: “Lead result < 0.50 ppm". For instance, for Mediterra, here is the link: https://seasalt.com/download-file/T3JvXEJ1bmRsZVxQcm9kdWN0QnVuZGxlXEVudGl0eVxQcm9kdWN0fHNwZWNzX3NoZWV0X3BkZnwyMjd8ZG93bmxvYWR8bWVkaXRlcnJhX0NPQS5wZGY=.pdf
How did you find out that their Mediterra salt has less than 100ppb lead? Their certification is just saying that it is only less than 500ppb.
Hi Tamara, Any idea what this Spice Lab Himalayan Salt contains from Costco? Thank you! https://www.instacart.com/products/17566949-the-spice-lab-himalayan-pink-salt-5-lb
Hi Tamara,
Thank you for your work! I am wondering if you have any other salt choices to recommend as none of the salts you recommend above (in either of the top two categories) are available in Canada! Are you able to help those of us north of the border to use safer salt? Thank you!
I’m really curious about Vancouver Island Sea Salt- I don’t think it’s been tested
I was curious about the Vancouver Island Sea Salt as well. Let me know if you find anymore information about it.
Hi Tamara,
I am from Canada as well…. did you find any safe brands?
What about Whole Foods 365 Fine Sea Salt? I believe it comes from Portugal , some water inlet off the Mediterranean Sea…. I think….?
Hello, my husband is wondering if the body metabolizes lead differently in different food categories. For example, the compounds that make up salt are harmful separate but when they come together make up delicious salt which we can metabolize. He’s wondering essentially if lead if as toxic in salt as it is in water or if the body treats it differently. If that’s why the FDA has a different allowance to the amount of lead in salt vs other products? I’m just confused. Lead is found in most food these days, right? It has even been knowingly sold in baby food and people are trying to downplay the toxicity. It’s all kind of confusing!
Lead allowances are based on product volume – (which is usually based on moisture content.) They are FDA allowances. They are not watched. They are not adhered to by companies. If you watch my film https://tamararubin.com/2021/01/my-film-passed-300000-views-on-youtube-today-heres-the-link-to-watch-it-if-you-have-not-yet/ you will learn that 90% of the Lead we have ever ingested or inhaled is still in our bodies. 90%. The impact is cumulative throughout our lifetime. To have any daily known source of a measurable amount of Lead (using current measurement tools and methodologies) is unacceptable. There is no safe level of Lead for human exposure. None. Def. watch my documentary film and let me know if you have questions. It has interviews with many of the top scientists on the issue. It has music donated by The Who and Tom Waits. Doctors, nurses and teachers (and other professionals) often get state certified CEUs when coming to presentations where I share the film and give a post-screening discussion – I promise you that you will learn something new. Thanks advance for taking the time.
Tamara
I just clicked on the link to watch your film and it says it is not available any more! Is there another link to watch it? Thanks.
Here’s a private preview screener link on Vimeo:
7915741044
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! 🙂
YW!
Hello! So glad I found this info! Thanks for sharing. Wondering if you have a resource about diamond crystal? That’s my kitchen workhorse salt and is widely used among chefs so I’m curious what information you know! Thanks!
Hi Tamara!
Wow! I learn from you at every turn!!
SALT was not something I gave much thought about (except to eat sparingly).
WHY do some salts/salt companies have lead and others do not? Is it about how it is harvested?
I’m wondering so that I can take some precautions when visiting my in-laws in Scandanavia.
The average grandparent there doesn’t use especially ‘fancy’ salts (like Saltwerks) so I thought I could try to navigate based on the reasons ‘why’ some brands have the lead.
Would you also please post links for you to get credit on the newly established amazon.se. Please post for some of these salts (and other kitchen items)?
Thanks for EVERYTHING you do for ALL of us!
Erica
Hello, I can’t find the safest salts to buy, from the saltverk icelandic salt I have only found the lava salt variety with activated carbon. Is this also safe?
greetings and thanks.
I also use the wholefoods 360 sea salt. Will look into getting the ones you recommend.
Hello,
I would like to please request a product test for the sea salt in A. Vogel Herbamare Original, thank you! Also, should we be concerned about the ceramic grinders used in salt grinders, even glass ones?
Thanks!
Tamara, your SALT list shows
Group #2) Salts in the “50 to 100 ppb” range
Mediterra Mediterranean Sea Salt <100 ppb Lead
https://seasalt.com/download-file/T3JvXEJ1bmRsZVxQcm9kdWN0QnVuZGxlXEVudGl0eVxQcm9kdWN0fHNwZWNzX3NoZWV0X3BkZnwyMjh8ZG93bmxvYWR8bWVkaXRlcnJhX0NPQS5wZGY=.pdf
Group #4) Salts in the “200 to 500 ppb” range
Pure Ocean Premium Sea Salt <500 ppb Lead
https://seasalt.com/download-file/T3JvXEJ1bmRsZVxQcm9kdWN0QnVuZGxlXEVudGl0eVxQcm9kdWN0fHNwZWNzX3NoZWV0X3BkZnwxMTExfGRvd25sb2FkfHB1cmUtb2NlYW5fQ09BLnBkZg==.pdf
But their (online) spec sheets BOTH show the same < 0.50 Lead content
(These tests are by independent testing sources, independent of what is reported by the seller (Saltworks) , correct?
Also why is some salt so much more expensive then others, like the Group #1 Jacobsen & Saktverk are like $16 for 4oz, yet the Group #2) Mediterra Mediterranean is $7 for 16oz! Big difference
Thanks Tamara!
Hi Tamara! Thanks for all your work! What do you think about salt and pepper grinders? I’ve been using them, but am suddenly thinking there’s a lot of friction and opportunity for any heavy metals present to become worn off, ground into more easily absorbed pieces (in the case of the pepper, since the salt just gets dissolved and highly bioavailable whether it’s ground or not) and ingested. Have you done any testing?
Would you trust any of the salts from Jacobsen Sat Co? I see the one you have linked but it doesn’t look like that specific one is sold on their website anymore. It looks like they source from Oregon and Italy. Would you trust both? Or only the Oregon one you have tested? Thank you so much for all your hard work!
How did you get the detailed lead readings for the SaltWorks salt? I’ve looked at their spec sheets and they all say <0.50ppm or <1.00ppm.
Hi Tamara – thanks so much for this article and list. I recently reached out to a salt manufacturer (in Canada) and they reported their lead levels in terms of ug/g. Specifically, they said their salt tested at 1.14 ug/g for lead, where the corresponding acceptance criteria for ingestion is 20.9 ug. They further explained that “Ug is micrograms (1 ug/kg =0.001 ug/g). Based on ug/kg body weight/day assuming an average 70 kg adult.” Do you have any advice on how to translate results expressed in these terms? Thanks very much!
I would like to see information for SAL ELEFANTE 100% Coarse Sea Salt from Mexico sold by Sisamex, Inc., Dallas, Texas. It is sold at Walmart and online and is packaged in a white cloth bag. I emailed the company and received no response.
I wonder if you could expand your research to include safer salts that are more affordable than the ones in your safe list. I live solely on ssi and they are all way out of my price range, especially given how much salt I use to manage dysautonomia. thanks!
Hi there! Thank you for commenting. I will let you know if I find something more affordable and safer. I go with the European sea salts at Whole Foods when I am working with a tighter budget (which is most of the time.) – although I don’t have the specific test results for those.
T
With the Jacobsen is there any concern about radiation from from the Fukushima reactors? It’s so disappointing to learn that there’s lead in our salt and no good option for an alternative. Thank you.
Hello! So glad I found this info! Thanks for sharing. Thank you for researching this and posting it.
For Bali Pyramid Balinese Salt listed in the best category, I’m finding that this is a type of salt, not a brand.
Do you recall which brand you found, or should we assume all salt from this source is likely lead safe? Thanks!
Hi there! Where does old style kosher salt fit into this research? Those big old boxes that are still for sale?
I don’t think it is appropriately tested for heavy metals (since they don’t appeal to a “natural foods” consumer – they probably don’t see a need.) I have noticed (in general) that so much stuff that is Kosher is actually toxic in other ways, so unfortunately the “Kosher” label doesn’t indicate any sort of quality beyond being Kosher. [We had a Kosher certificate for our honey before my mother died.]
T
How interesting and unfortunately concerning. Would you know about Fleur de Selde Guérande from the brand Le Guérendais ? Thank you !
This was a good article and you had me until you linked the moderate use and unsafe salts for purchase (via affiliate link). Would one not want to link any of these? I realize we all make our own choices, but I wouldn’t say, do not use these, they are unsafe, but here’s a link for you to purchase (in which I get a small commission).
I link to my affiliate links because you don’t have to purchase what I link to in order for me to receive a percentage of what you spend on Amazon. So you can click the link to “see it in the wild” and then go buy some string for your kids art project (for example) and then I would earn about 4% of what you spend on that string. My regular readers understand this and have asked me to include affiliate links wherever possible as it helps to cover about 30% of the costs of the work here on this website.
Many salts also have very similar names – so by providing the link to the product tested (which has manufacturer information in addition to what I have on the post) it gives more information to my readers to help them make decisions in the future.
T
Would it be possible to combine a moderately concentrated salt solution together with a lead-compound-precipitating solution such that a filterable precipitate would be formed? The resulting lead-free filtrate could be evaporated to yield salt crystals to be used traditionally. Or, more economically, the filtrate could be concentrated and used as “liquid salt.”
You have done your job well as most of the lowest ones are unavailable on amazon… except for the Icelandic. The Jacobson one is available on their own website in different packaging I think!
Hi have you looked into crucial 4 I noticed they are not on your list but the do extensive heavy metal testing it sounds like
Hi, thanks for all your work! The Jacobsen salt link on Amazon is unavailable, but I did look into an alternative option for Jacobsen- did their “pure kosher sea salt” (1lb) or their “trapani pure italian fine salt” (1.81 lb) rate well? equal or less than 25 ppb? I would like to purchase these two and before I commit, I want to be sure these two salts are safe as I have two toddlers under 3 and we are ditching the Redmond salt!
Hello,
I contacted Saltworks and asked them if their Cyprus mediterranean sea salt was the same salt used in their Cyprus black mediterranean sea salt. They said Yes! I hope this helps others in the quest to finding safe salt 🙂
I spoke with Redmond Salt, and they posted this article explaining that their salt tested negative for lead all the way down to 50 ppb. That is different from the result posted above. It sounds like Tamara believes, from her interactions with the owner, that they are misrepresenting the lead levels, but I wanted to put it out there.
https://kb.redmond.life/answers/i-saw-a-report-online-that-showed-real-salt-has-169-ppb-of-lead.-ive-heard-that-safe-water-is-less-than-15-ppb.-your-report-doesnt-list-lead.-can-you-hel-1613683863130
I wrote to Saltworks and got this reply about lead:
“Even our Sel Gris (Celtic) sea salt tests in at <1.00 ppm; when you see Trace Metals and Nutrients listed with the “<” sign, this is stating that this specific trace metal was tested and proven to be less than .200 Parts Per Million. This indicates that the heavy metal is not present; however, it would not be accurate to list it as zero, as current testing methods cannot detect it at any smaller amount. This salt and the rest of our gourmet salts meet all FDA and Codex standards as being food grade and completely safe for consumption."
I highly doubt that technology cannot test further down than .200 parts per million (=200 ppb), but that amount is still better than 1.00 ppm (= 1000ppb)!
Saltworks just informed me that they are discontinuing the plain Cyprus Sea Salt, due to “because we no longer wish to harvest from the Mediterranean due to increased pollution.” They only have refill pouches left, and when they sell out, that will be that.
Their COA for that product says tested below 500ppb- how were the results above showing less than 30ppb derived?
Their black Cyprus combines Cyprus salt and charcoal, so the Cyprus salt is the same salt.
Hello Tamara,
Could you please give your thoughts on the letter Redmond salts has put out on the testing of their salt? This would give me a great piece. Thank you in advance!
https://kb.redmond.life/answers/i-saw-a-report-online-that-showed-real-salt-has-169-ppb-of-lead.-ive-heard-that-safe-water-is-less-than-15-ppb.-your-report-doesnt-list-lead.-can-you-hel-1613683863130
Will respond on this shortly.
T
Thanks for all the work you do! I am currently using the EArthpaste by Redmond so I am mortified to see your article on it!
I too would like to hear your response to that article from Redmond… Also, do you have anymore info regarding why you don’t like the owner? Thanks in advance.
Hi. I am also trying to find the source of lead found in my blood. Have you tested Herbamare by Vogel? I cannot find any info on it. I am also wondering if in your opinion, any of the home lead test swabs work. Thank you so much for what you do.
I’d really love to know levels in some of the sea salt and Himalayan salt sold under the Azure Standard name. They are a very big and “responsible” company according to most and so many families across the country use their products.
Hello, I’m in need of buying 1 pound of salt to put in the birth tub for my upcoming home birth. It needs to be regular sea salt for it’s anti bacterial properties and making the water soft. It is NOT epsom salt.
I have referenced this post many times when buying salt that I use for eating.
This salt will just be in the water.
It looks like the top “best category” salts are sold by the 4 ounce and a bit expensive for a whole pound (compared to just buying a bag of generic sea salt at the grocery store).
Is this important enough in this context to spend a lot on salt to dump in a tub? Or is this only key when eating the salt?
In my last birth I used the tub for pain relief but birthed my baby on land so it’s likely this water will not touch baby, but that I’ll be soaking in it for some time.
Thank you!
Hi TAmara,
I have been trying to find the Mediterra Sea Salt by Saltworks in group 2 (group 1 is so expensive) and i finally found out why it is out of stock everywhere. Saltworks says they stopped making it due to microplastics concerns in sea salt and they are suggesting people try their pure ocean salt. Do you have any test results on that? https://seasalt.com/mediterra-retail
Oh boy – so many considerations! Sorry about that. I don’t know of any testing that has been done on that – but if they think it is a good option I think “pure ocean salt” might be better than some of the other salts on the list (I try to stick with sea salt at least if I cannot find exactly what I am looking for.)
T
Thanks for your comment. I just saw that their Pure Ocean salt is on your list and it is in the unsafe category. I just called Saltworks to see if they had any pure white salt that had testing that was down to the ppb and they don’t, but the lady i got on the phone was really cool and i sent her a link to your article and she was reading it while we were on the phone and was really interested. She is forwarding your article to her quality team with my request that they have testing down to ppb and find some that is really low in lead. I asked her about the testing on their discontinued Mediterra salt that was in your Acceptable – Alternative Choice category and she only had the testing to ppm as well. Where did you find the test results saying that it had less than 100 ppb? Did you do that one with your spectrometer?
The lady at Saltworks told me that they are steering clear of salts from the Mediterranean sea because they are really dirty. Anyway, thanks for all you do. I still can’t find a salt that meets my needs and my budget. I just don’t really trust the Kirkland salt as they are owned by costco who is funded by Vanguard and Blackrock so I don’t really trust them!
Thank you for this AWESOME article and all the hours of research! I am in South Africa and we have access to locally mined Desert salt from the Kalahari. This is what their COA states: Lead: <10 PPM. Is this safe?
That result isn’t accurate enough for food testing, given food standards for Lead toxicity are measured in the 1 to 100 ppb range.
10 ppm (parts per Million) translates to 10,000 ppb (parts per Billion).
So <10 ppm (parts per Million) could be as high as 9,999 ppb (parts per Billion).
In regards to the Bali Pyramid Balinese Salt, do you have a brand you recommend and tested? With Jacobsen and Saltwerk out of stock at the moment we’re out of salt options!!
Thanks so much!!
Hi Tamara: I contacted Salt Spring Island Sea Salt (in Canada – https://www.saltspringseasalt.com/) and was told they do third party testing and that with respect to lead:
“The lab measures in ug/g. The result for lead is 1.14 ug/g and the corresponding acceptance criteria for ingestion is 20.9 ug. Ug is micrograms (1 ug/kg =0.001 ug/g). Based on ug/kg body weight/day assuming an average 70 kg adult.”
Could you help decipher this? Is this good?
Thank you for your work!
1.14 ug/g is 1140ppb
Seems like not good…
http://www.american-analytical.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Conversion-Tables1.pdf
It looks like 1 ug/g = 1 ppm = 1,000 ppb
So this 1.14 ug/g salt would have 1,140 ppb lead.
Additionally, they seem to be saying that 20.9 ug of lead is an acceptable level for a 70 kg adult to ingest daily.
Dividing that 20.9 ug of daily lead figure by the 1.14 ug of lead present in every g of salt, would mean that you could consume 18.3 g of their salt before ingesting 20.9 ug lead. 18.3 g = 3.2 tsp.
Check my math, but that’s what I’m getting.
Thanks Tamara for this research. April 24 2022 after a few hours searching I ended up with Jacobsen. It was pricey but if you order this combo, you get right to $75 and get free shipping ($21 for me otherwise). Hope this puts off my salt needs for a year and perhaps there will be more available or I will be more healed and can tolerate a higher ppb. What are others ordering?
Steak Seasoning 1 $8.00
Pure Kosher Sea Salt 1 Canister 2 $26.00
Netarts Bay Bundle – With 4oz Flake Bag 1 $30.00
Raw Blackberry Honey – Willamette Valley, Oregon – 8.62oz Jar1 1 $11.00
I ended up with Jasobsen too. I ordered from mypanier.com
I wanted to try the Icelandic salt but it was really expensive. I wish they could provide a cheaper bulk option.
Hi Tamara,
Thank you for all the important work you’ve done. I personally only buy things you’ve test safe. How about the Jacobsen Pure Kosher Sea Salt Canister 1 lb and Morton iodized table salt and sea salt? What is the brand name of European seasalt in Whole Foods you recommend? How much do you need to do another test on more affordable regular salt besides seasalt? Possibly all the subscribers could donate to do another salt test. Thank you
Hi there, what about Baja Gold? Very popular with folks (and kids) doing the GAPS diet and protocol. Thank you.
Costco’s Kirkland branded sea salt was from Brazil (2021), but now is from Australia (2022), so these values no longer apply.
Costco recently refused to divulge the heavy metal content (chemical analysis) in their sea salt.
Thanks for this info. Where did you find this out? Do you have any links?
Hi,
I use the Selina Celtic Salt and since reading this blog I contacted them. Their response mentions your testing uses parts per BILLION but their tests are in parts per MILLION so could you please now provide an update on this brand.
Also if they have reached out to you it would be nice if you would speak with them instead of ignoring
No one has reached out to me on this.
One part per million is 1,000 parts per billion.
Discussed here:
https://tamararubin.com/2021/12/understanding-ppm-vs-ppb-vs-percent-what-does-parts-per-million-mean/
And:
https://tamararubin.com/2022/06/the-nurse-who-is-the-owner-of-primallife-sent-me-an-e-mail-threatening-legal-action-in-this-email-she-demonstrated-a-clear-misunderstanding-of-math-and-science/
Testing salt and food items in parts per million is not appropriate nor sufficient. Food toxicity is measured in parts per billion. Food companies using parts per million as their testing standard are – in a way – possibly doing so to deceive their customers (or doing so out of complete ignorance, ignorance which is not a reasonable argument given they are in the business of selling a food product.)
More on that here too:
https://tamararubin.com/2022/07/from-the-official-journal-of-the-european-union-here-are-the-new-european-limits-for-lead-and-cadmium-in-foodstuffs-including-salt-supplements-as-of-august-2021/
Tamara
Colima Sea Salt looks pretty good according to the analysis at https://s3.amazonaws.com/helpscout.net/docs/assets/55806b88e4b027e1978e7e24/attachments/5c6b5430042863543ccd252b/Colima-Sea-Salt–Summary-of-Analysis-2018.pdf
1ppb arsenic, cadmium and lead.
Tamara, what do you think?
Tamara! I have always enjoyed your posts over the years. So informative. I appreciate all that you to to help keep everyone safe and promote awareness!
Alexi
Thank you.
I want to avoid heavy metals of course, but I just don’t see the point of testing something like salt. Whether it’s from the sea, or mined, every batch will be different, because every day the sea changes, and new seams of salt will be mined. If the salt companies even have a consistent supply location, which is far from certain in many cases anyway.
So after reading this article, I went on the Selina Celtic Sea Salt website and noticed that they have a comparison of their different salts with the Lead measured in ppm available for download as a Word doc. The Gourmet Kosher listed in this article has much higher levels than the same product on their website (they list .027ppm, which I believe translates to 270 ppb?). Were the levels measured previously or independently for the article on this page? Just trying to figure out the discrepancy as I’m researching salts to consume.
The levels in this article are from a compilation of sources from the time the article was written. Most are not from the manufacturer. It’s possible their new product is lower (new batches, new variations etc.)
T
So glad we found this–we had no idea how much lead was in these so called healthy salts. If anyone can post info on low cost salt such as diamond kosher salt for independently tested lead levels, please update us here.
We are scraping by on a tight budget and fancy salt is not affordable for home pickling and brining, etc. Low income people also care about lead levels in their children. Thank you in advance to anyone who can afford to send some samples to a lab. bless you!
Hi Tamara,
Thanks for this great research!
I went to buy the Jacobsen salt you recommended, & see that their kosher salt from Oregon is MUCH cheaper than their “pure flake finishing salt,” also from Oregon. (https://jacobsensalt.com/collections/pure-sea-salt). They assured me on the phone that both are harvested from the same place & have the same chemical analysis.
The problem is that the kosher salt comes in a canister with an aluminum bottom (& plastic top).
Since salt is not liquid, & there would be no scraping of any metal instrument inside the salt canister, do you think it’d be safe to use their kosher salt in the canister? (I could avoid using the bottom inch).
Or, do you think the salt is totally contaminated if it’s in a canister with an aluminum base?
Thanks!
how about natural tides kosher salt?
Also BIG THANKS to Gina Rolfsmeier! (plz forgive me if I attributed something from the above to you Tamara if it was originally written by Gina. Gratitude to you both!
Nordur Salt elemental analysis results from 2014:
Lead = 10 ppb
Cadmium = .6 ppb
Arsenic = 20 ppb
https://blog.nordurco.com/post/119593624082/what-is-nordur-salt-really
Thank you.
Thanks so much for renting that XRF analyzer to do all of this!!! Those things are expensive, so we’d been putting it off, then I saw your post.
I mentioned you here (salt on avocados),
https://mymontessorihouse.substack.com/p/a-perfect-food-for-children
If Redmond’s keeps bugging you, let us know. We currently buy their farm mineral blocks because, well, the sources all look similar. But if they keep hassling you, I’ll rally and get a bulk order of Himalayan salt from RM Salt, an exporter of Himalayan salt that I’ve been thinking of buying samples from. Now I am wondering if the horses could tell a difference…
Have you tested any kala namak, which is the name used for black salt used in Indian cooking to give foods a sulphurous taste? I heard vegans use it to make foods reminiscent of eggs.
I’m curious if you’ve changed any of your eating habits in light of this and/or done digging into what salt different food manufacturers use. Virtually anything pre-made or pre-packaged has salt in it. I’m guessing lots of companies use salt that’s higher on this list largely because it’s cheaper. I’d love to know what you’ve discovered along these lines!
Yes – I try to eat as little pre-packaged food as possible (mostly eat fresh, raw and whole) and I also use very little salt (one little $11 bag of Jacobsen’s lasts me a year or more.)
T
I’m wondering your opinion on the Selina Celtic sea salt (the gourmet kosher) I don’t understand how to read it because it says mcg
Most Celtic salt is somewhat gray – and therefore more likely to be lead contaminated. Is it gray or white salt?
T
Hello Tamara, have you tested Nordur Icelandic Salt? If you have not, do you think it would be comparable to Saltverk?
Thank you