Salt or sodium chloride is a crystalline chemical compound made up of the elements chlorine and sodium. It varies in colour from colourless, when pure, to white, gray or brownish, typical of rock salt (halite). It is produced either through mining from inland deposits or it can be removed from seawater through a process called solar salt production. Depending on its source, the salt may differ in taste and texture.

Salt is used in various forms such as preservation of food, in religious rites and in the treatment of leather, dye textiles and in making pottery. Moreover, sodium has some bodily functions including the regulation of extra cellular fluid level, contraction of muscles, and transmission of nerve impulses. Chloride, the other component of the salt molecule, is also essential to good health such as in the digestion process, potassium absorption and in the ability of the blood to carry carbon dioxide from respiring tissues to the lungs.

The organ in the body responsible for the excretion of excess salt that is ingested is the kidney. An accumulation of sodium in the blood occurs when the kidneys do not eliminate enough sodium, the end result of which is hypertension.

While it is challenging for consumers to actively seek ways to limit their intake of salt, given the fact that many commonly eaten foods and condiments contain significant amounts of sodium, they can identify high sodium foods by reading food labels.