Himalayan Salt vs Sea Salt vs Kosher Salt Labels: Sodium, Iodine and Grain Size

Pink Himalayan salt, sea salt and kosher salt sit side by side on the shelf, and their labels look almost the same: one ingredient, a sodium line, a serving of 1/4 teaspoon. The real differences are in how much a spoonful weighs, whether iodide was added, and what else is in the ingredient line. This guide reads four labels line by line: Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt, Fine Grain, Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, Morton Fine Sea Salt and Morton Iodized Table Salt.

How we wrote this: label figures come from the brands’ product pages and, where a brand page shows no panel, from a grocery listing or the USDA FoodData Central branded food record; the rules come from FDA. We read them in October 2026. We have not tested these salts, and this is a label guide, not diet or medical advice.

The short answer

All four are salt. Gram for gram, their sodium figures land close together, about 390 to 400 mg per gram by our arithmetic. Per 1/4 teaspoon they are far apart: 280 mg for Diamond Crystal and 590 mg for both Sherpa Pink and Morton Iodized Table Salt. That gap comes from crystal size, not from what the salt is. Of the four, only the table salt is iodized, and only the table salt lists an anti-caking agent.

Four labels side by side

Salt	Serving on the label	Sodium per serving	Ingredients	Iodine
Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt, Fine Grain	1/4 tsp (1.5 g)	590 mg (26% DV)	Himalayan salt	Not added; the page states it “does not supply Iodide”
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt	1/4 tsp (0.7 g)	280 mg (12% DV)	Salt	Not added; the box states it does not supply iodide
Morton Fine Sea Salt	1/4 tsp (1.4 g)	550 mg (24% DV)	Sea salt	No iodine line in the panel
Morton Iodized Table Salt	1/4 tsp (1.5 g)	590 mg (26% DV)	Salt, calcium silicate (an anti-caking agent), dextrose, potassium iodide	68 mcg (45% DV)

Sources: San Francisco Salt Co. and USDA FoodData Central branded records for its 1 lb and 2 lb bags (the records do not name the grain) for Sherpa; the Giant Food listing of the 26 oz Diamond Crystal box, since the Diamond Crystal website did not load for us; Morton’s pages for Fine Sea Salt and Iodized Table Salt.

Why a teaspoon changes the sodium

A Nutrition Facts serving for salt is a volume, usually 1/4 teaspoon, with the weight in grams beside it. Look at the grams. A 1/4 teaspoon of Morton’s fine table salt weighs 1.5 g, while the same spoon of Diamond Crystal’s hollow flakes weighs 0.7 g. Less salt fits in the spoon, so less sodium does too.

Divide sodium by grams and the gap closes. By our arithmetic, Morton table salt works out to about 393 mg per gram, Morton Fine Sea Salt about 393 mg, Diamond Crystal 400 mg, and Sherpa Pink about 393 mg. Those are rounded label figures, so small differences between them do not mean much. What matters in the kitchen is the spoon: a 1/4 teaspoon of Morton table salt carries a little over twice the sodium of the same spoon of Diamond Crystal (590 mg vs 280 mg).

The same thing explains recipe swaps. America’s Test Kitchen weighed 1 teaspoon of table salt at about 6 grams and 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal at 2.8 grams, and suggests 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal for each teaspoon of table salt (America’s Test Kitchen). Our kosher salt vs table salt explainer covers that conversion in full.

Crystal size on each pack

Fine pink salt, fine sea salt and table salt are all small grains that pack tightly. San Francisco Salt Co. sells Sherpa Pink in three grains and calls the fine grain its replacement for table salt in cooking and shakers; extra-fine is powder-like and coarse is for grinders. A coarse or extra-fine bag of the same salt will weigh a different amount per spoon, so read the grams on the exact bag you buy.

Kosher salt is the outlier. Diamond Crystal’s flakes are hollow and irregular, which is why its serving weighs half as much. Other kosher brands are denser, so “kosher salt” on its own does not tell you the weight per spoon.

Iodized vs not iodized wording

FDA’s salt rule, 21 CFR 100.155, sets the wording. Salt with added iodide, as cuprous iodide or potassium iodide, is “iodized salt” and must carry the statement “This salt supplies iodide, a necessary nutrient” right after the name. Salt without added iodide must carry “This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient.” Packages over 2 1/2 pounds, and single servings under 1/2 ounce, are exempt from printing that statement right after the name.

On our four labels:

• Sherpa Pink: the brand page states the product “does not supply Iodide.” The label does not list iodine.
• Diamond Crystal: the box carries “This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient,” per the Giant Food listing. The panel does not list iodine.
• Morton Fine Sea Salt: the ingredient line is “Sea Salt.” and the panel lists no iodine.
• Morton Iodized Table Salt: potassium iodide is in the ingredient line and the panel lists 68 mcg iodine per serving, 45% of the Daily Value.

So “Himalayan,” “sea” and “kosher” say nothing about iodine. The iodide statement, the ingredient line and the iodine row in the panel do. Some brands sell iodized versions of pink and sea salt, so check the exact pack.

Anti-caking agents in the ingredient line

Morton Iodized Table Salt lists calcium silicate and labels it an anti-caking agent. It also lists dextrose and potassium iodide. The other three labels list salt only. Under 21 CFR 100.155, a salt with an anti-caking agent may also say what the agent does, such as “free flowing,” as long as that wording is no more prominent than the iodide statement.

Nothing on these labels says one is better than another. An anti-caking agent keeps fine grains pouring in a humid kitchen; a salt-only line suits cooks who want nothing added. If clumping bothers you, Diamond Crystal’s flakes break up with a shake, according to America’s Test Kitchen.

Mineral wording, only as printed

Pink salt packs often mention minerals. San Francisco Salt Co. says Sherpa Pink’s colors come from what it calls 84 naturally occurring trace minerals, including magnesium, calcium and potassium. That is the company’s statement. Its product page gives no amounts for them. The USDA records for Sherpa Pink list 590 mg sodium and 0 for calcium, iron and potassium per 1/4 teaspoon serving. When a label names a mineral, look for it as a row in the panel with an amount; if it is not there, the panel gives you nothing to compare.

What FDA says about sodium

FDA’s Sodium in Your Diet page puts the Daily Value for sodium at “less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.” It says the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults stay under 2,300 mg a day, which it equates to “about 1 teaspoon of table salt,” and that most dietary sodium comes from packaged and prepared foods rather than the salt shaker. FDA also suggests using the %DV to judge a serving, with 5% or less counted as low and 20% or more as high.

That is why the spoon matters. A 1/4 teaspoon of table salt is 26% of the Daily Value on Morton’s panel, and the same spoon of Diamond Crystal is 12%. If you follow a sodium-restricted diet, follow your doctor’s guidance on total salt.

Measure by weight

Weighing salt removes the spoon problem. By our arithmetic from the labels, 6 grams of any of these salts carries roughly 2,300 to 2,400 mg of sodium, whatever the crystal. A kitchen scale that reads in 1 gram steps handles brines and bread dough; for a pinch, a precision scale is better. Our kitchen scale specs explainer covers what to look for, using the Escali Primo Digital Food Scale.

A quick checklist

• Read the grams beside the 1/4 teaspoon serving, not just the teaspoons.
• Compare sodium per gram if you want to compare the salts themselves.
• Look for the iodide statement and an iodine row; the words Himalayan, sea or kosher do not settle it.
• Read the ingredient line for an anti-caking agent, dextrose or an iodide source.
• Treat mineral counts as the brand’s own statement unless the panel lists amounts.
• Check the grain size on the bag; fine, extra-fine and coarse weigh differently per spoon.

FAQ

Does Himalayan salt have less sodium than table salt?

Not on the labels we read. The USDA records for Sherpa Pink list 590 mg per 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g), the same as Morton Iodized Table Salt. A spoonful of a different grain can weigh more or less, so compare the grams on each panel.

Is pink Himalayan salt iodized?

Sherpa Pink is not; its page states it “does not supply Iodide.” Some brands sell iodized pink salt, so read the statement after the name and the ingredient line.

Is sea salt iodized?

Morton Fine Sea Salt lists “Sea Salt.” as its only ingredient and no iodine row. Iodized sea salts exist, and they list an iodide source in the ingredients.

Can I swap pink salt for kosher salt one for one?

Not by volume if the kosher salt is Diamond Crystal: its 1/4 teaspoon weighs 0.7 g, far less than a fine grain salt. Convert by weight, or see our kosher salt vs table salt explainer for spoon conversions.

Where to go next

See the product pages for Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt, Fine Grain and Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, learn the panel itself in how to read a Nutrition Facts label, or browse the healthy pantry staples guide.