Salt is one of the oldest and most widely used seasonings in human history. Almost every dish contains a pinch of this mineral. And, especially in recent years, the variety of types has increased significantly. Sea salt, rock salt, Himalayan salt, herb salt, chili salt—I’ve even seen “organic salt” lately (which, by the way, is just marketing; salt can’t be organic. At most, the herbs can be organic if it’s herbal salt.) But this got me thinking and raised the question: Can salt be sustainable? And if so, which type is the most sustainable? IMAGE: Pixabay

How sustainable is salt?

Compared to many other kitchen staples, salt has a smaller environmental footprint. After all, it is a mineral, not an agricultural product. Therefore, it requires no farmland and, in theory, can be extracted with minimal environmental risk.

Nevertheless, the devil is in the detail. The sustainability of salt varies primarily in terms of:

• energy consumption
• working conditions
• type of mining
• transport route

Which varieties perform best?

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when buying salt, nor any widely recognised labels that indicate at a glance which salt is the most sustainable. It is best to always check carefully where it comes from, how it was mined or produced, and what type of salt it is. In any case, the general rule is: The shorter the transport distance, the better.

The most common salts and their sustainability

Mined salt: This includes rock salt and Himalayan salt. Due to their significant environmental impact and potential health risks to miners, these salts are often among the least sustainable. However, this depends heavily on the specific operation and the country of origin. For instance, rock salt from Germany and Austria can be more sustainable than sea salt shipped from halfway around the world and produced under poor working conditions or evaporated salt, which requires significant energy to produce.

Sea Salt: Simply put, sea salt is produced by evaporating seawater. This evaporation process uses only sunlight, resulting in the lowest environmental impact and energy consumption. However, you should also pay attention to the country of origin to minimize transport distance and ensure good working conditions locally.

Evaporated Salt: Compared to regional rock salt and naturally harvested sea salt, evaporated salt tends to perform poorly. This is primarily due to the large amount of energy required for its extraction. Evaporated salt is obtained from saltwater, known as brine. Freshwater is channeled into a shaft where it dissolves the salt, which is then pumped back to the surface. The brine is then heated in large tanks, causing the water to evaporate. During this process, the salt crystallizes and remains solid. Finally, the salt is dried, purified, and prepared for sale. However, the type of energy-saving measures used and the country of origin are also important factors.

In conclusion: If you want to play it safe, stick to naturally sourced sea salt with the shortest possible transport distance when cooking!