Table 5.
Impact of origin, form, and color intensity on the mineral content of pink salt samples which were purchased from retail stores in Australia in June 2018.
| Minerals | Origin | Form | Color Intensity | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Himalayas vs. Other Regions |
Flakes (3) vs. Fine (1) |
Flakes (3) vs. Coarse (2) |
Coarse (2) vs. Fine (1) |
Dark Pink (3) vs. No Color (0) |
Dark Pink (3) vs. Light Pink (1) |
Dark Pink (3) vs. Medium Pink (2) |
Medium Pink (2) vs. No Color (0) |
Medium Pink (2) vs. Light Pink (1) |
Light (1) vs. No Color (0) |
|
| Nutrients | Mean Difference (95% CI), mg/kg 1,2 | |||||||||
| Calcium | 817.01 | −1092.30 | −1714.50 | 622.10 | 2583. 90 | 794.10 | 686.90 | 1897.00 | 107.20 | 1789.80 |
| (−398.37, 2032.39) | (−3179.10, 994.50) | (−3801.30, 372.30) | (−390.10, 1634.40) | (572.00, 4595.90)2 | (−599.80, 2188.00) | (−398.20, 1772.10) | (−139.20, 3933.20) | (−1321.50, 1535.80) | (−426.40, 4006.00) | |
| Chromium | 0.06 | 0.28 | 0.32 | −0.04 | 0.15 | 0.01 | −0.11 | 0.26 | 0.13 | 0.13 |
| (−0.15, 0.28) | (−0.05, 0.62) | (−0.01, 0.66) | (−0.20, 0.12) | (−0.18, 0.47) | (−0.25, 0.28) | (−0.32, 0.09) | (−0.07, 0.58) | (−0.14, 0.40) | (−0.23, 0.50) | |
| Copper | 0.08 | 0.15 | 0.17 | −0.02 | 0.07 | 0.00 | −0.06 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| (0.00, 0.15) 1 | (0.04, 0.26) 1 | (0.06, 0.28) 1 | (−0.07, 0.04) | (−0.07, 0.21) | (−0.09, 0.10) | (−0.13, 0.02) | (−0.01, 0.27) | (−0.04, 0.16) | (0.08, 0.22) | |
| Iron | 54.95 | −23.83 | −35.59 | 11.75 | 77.25 | 41.12 | 9.55 | 67.69 | 31.56 | 36.13 |
| (7.04, 102.85) 1 | (−113.32, 65.66) | (−125.08, 53.90) | (−31.66, 55.16) | (−13.57, 168.06) | (−21.80, 104.04) | (−39.43, 58.54) | (−24.22, 159.60) | (−32.93, 96.05) | (−63.91, 136.17) | |
| Magnesium | −1982.95 | −1577.50 | −1879.50 | 301.90 | −5528.70 | 1510.10 | 352.80 | −5881.60 | 1157.20 | −7038.80 |
| (−4029.67, 63.77) | (−5279.50, 2124.50) | (−5581.50, 1822.60) | (−1493.80, 2097.70) | (−8089.40, −2968.00) 1 | (−264.00, 3284.20) | (−1028.30, 1734.00) | (−8473.10, −3290.00) 1 | (−661.10, 2975.60) | (−9859.50, −4218.20) 1 | |
| Manganese | −0.62 | 3.17 | 2.80 | 0.37 | 1.86 | −0.53 | 0.29 | 1.57 | −0.81 | 2.38 |
| (−2.26, 1.03) | (0.64, 5.69) 1 | (0.28, 5.33) 1 | (−0.86, 1.59) | (−1.19, 4.91) | (−2.64, 1.59) | (−1.36, 1.93) | (−1.52, 4.65) | −2.98, 1.35) | (−0.98, 5.74) | |
| Molybdenum | −0.03 | 0.01 | 0.01 | −0.00 | −0.05 | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.04 | −0.03 | −0.01 |
| (−0.07, 0.01) | (−0.06, 0.08) | (−0.06, 0.08) | (−0.04, 0.03) | (−0.12, 0.03) | (−0.09, 0.01) | (−0.05, 0.03) | (−0.11, 0.04) | (−0.08, 0.02) | (−0.09, 0.07) | |
| Phosphorus | −0.81 | −2.68 | 0.00 | −2.68 | −4.00 | −6.44 | 0.00 | −4.00 | −6.44 | 2.45 |
| (−6.76, 5.15) | (−12.46, 7.10) | (−9.78, 9.78) | (−7.42, 2.06) | (−14.36, 6.36) | (−13.62, 0.73) | (−5.59, 5.59) | (−14.48, 6.49) | (−13.80, 0.91) | (−8.96, 13.86) | |
| Potassium | 2507.87 | −1406.90 | −2578.70 | 1171.70 | 2747.40 | 1845.50 | 533.00 | 2214.40 | 1312.50 | 901.90 |
| (1542.99, 3472.74) 1 | (−3346.90, 533.00) | (−4518.60, −638.70) | (230.70, 2112.70) 1 | (836.60, 4658.20) 1 | (521.60, 3169.30) 1 | (−497.60, 1563.60) | (280.60, 4148.20) 1 | (−44.40, 2669.30) | (−1202.90, 3006.70) | |
| Selenium | −0.02 | 0.06 | 0.08 | −0.02 | 0.01 | −0.05 | −0.02 | 0.03 | −0.04 | 0.07 |
| (−0.09, 0.05) | (−0.05, 0.17) | (−0.03, 0.19) | (−0.07, 0.03) | (−0.11, 0.14) | (−0.14, 0.04) | (−0.09, 0.05) | (−0.10, 0.16) | (−0130, 0.05) | (−0.07, 0.21) | |
| Sodium | 4992.71 | 60,998.00 | 64,374.00 | −3376.00 | 30,533.00 | −9103.00 | −7547.00 | 38,080.00 | −1556.00 | 39,636.00 |
| (−18,638.80, 28,624.23) | (31,763.00, 90,233.00) 1 | (35,138.00, 93,609.00) 1 | (−17,557.00, 10,805.00) | (−11,070.00, 72,137.00) | (−37,926.00, 19,721.00) | (−29,986.00, 14,893.00) | (−4025.00, 80,185.00) | (−31,099.00, 27,986.00) | (−6191.00, 85,463.00) | |
| Zinc | −0.41 | 0.37 | 0.43 | −0.05 | 0.00 | −0.34 | −0.01 | 0.01 | −0.32 | 0.34 |
| (−0.59, −0.24) 1 | (0.03, 0.72) 1 | (0.08, 0.77) 1 | (−0.22, 0.11) | (−0.37, 0.37) | (−0.59, −0.08) 1 | (−0.21, 0.19) | (−0.36, 0.39) | (−0.59, −0.06) 1 | (−0.07, 0.74) | |
| Non-Nutritive Minerals | Mean Difference (95% CI), mg/kg 1,2 | |||||||||
| Aluminum | 82.99 | −40.55 | −61.30 | 20.75 | 98.47 | 68.54 | 16.69 | 81.78 | 51.85 | 29.93 |
| (31.86, 134.12) 1 | (−141.01, 59.91) | (−161.76, 39.91) | (−27.98, 69.48) | (2.07, 194.86) 1 | (1.76, 135.33) 1 | (−35.30, 68.68) | (−15.78, 179.33) | (−16.60, 120.30) | (−76.25, 136.10) | |
| Arsenic 3 | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| Barium | 0.83 | −0.36 | −0.57 | 0.21 | 0.97 | 0.63 | 0.14 | 0.82 | 0.49 | 0.34 |
| (0.45, 1.20) 1 | (−1.18, 0.46) | (−1.39, 0.24) | (−0.18, 0.61) | (0.25, 1.68) 1 | (0.14, 1.12) 1 | (−0.24, 0.53) | (0.10, 1.54) 1 | (−0.02, 0.99) | (−0.45, 1.12) | |
| Boron | −0.71 | −0.34 | −0.39 | 0.05 | −1.57 | 0.39 | 0.20 | −1.76 | 0.19 | −1.95 |
| (−1.46, 0.03) | (−1.67, 0.99) | (−1.73, 0.94) | (−0.60, 0.70) | (−2.77, −0.36) 1 | (−0.45, 1.22) | (−0.45, 0.85) | (−2.98, −0.55) 1 | (−0.67, 1.04) | (−3.28, −0.63) 1 | |
| Cadmium | −0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | −0.00 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.01 |
| (−0.02, −0.0) 1 | (0.00, 0.02) 1 | (0.00, 0.03) 1 | (−0.01, 0.00) | (−0.01, 0.02) | (−0.02, 0.01) | (−0.01, 0.01) | (−0.01, 0.00) | (−0.02, 0.00) | (−0.01, 0.02) | |
| Cobalt | 0.04 | −0.02 | −0.03 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| (0.01, 0.06) 1 | (−0.07, 0.03) | (−0.08, 0.03) | (−0.02, 0.03) | (−0.01, 0.09) | (−0.00, 0.07) | (−0.02, 0.03) | (−0.01, 0.09) | (−0.01, 0.06) | (−0.04, 0.07) | |
| Lead | −0.60 | −0.14 | 0.03 | −0.17 | 0.05 | −0.50 | −0.01 | 0.06 | −0.49 | 0.55 |
| (−1.06, −0.15) 1 | (−0.99, 0.71) | (−0.82, 0.88) | (−0.58, 0.25) | (−0.86, 0.97) | (−1.13, 1.14) | (−0.50, 0.48) | (−0.86, 0.99) | (−1.14, 0.16) | (−0.46, 1.56) | |
| Mercury | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | −0.00 | 0.00 |
| (−0.01, 0.01) | (−0.01, 0.02) | (−0.01, 0.02) | (−0.01, 0.01) | (−0.01,0.02) | (−0.01, 0.01) | (−0.01, 0.01) | (−0.01, 0.02) | (−0.01, 0.01) | (−0.01, 0.02) | |
| Nickel | 0.06 | 0.17 | 0.20 | −0.03 | 0.07 | 0.02 | −0.10, | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.05 |
| (−0.06, 0.18) | (−0.02, 0.36) | (0.01, 0.39) 1 | (−0.12, 0.06) | (−0.14, 0.27) | (−0.13, 0.16) | (−0.21, 0.01) | (−0.04, 0.37) | (−0.03, 0.26) | (−0.18, 0.28) | |
| Silver 3 | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| Silicon | 150.41 | −50.19 | −107.43 | 57.24 | 179.63 | 147.33 | 37.43 | 142.21 | 109.90 | 32.30 |
| (58.33, 242.48) 1 | (−227.57, 127.18) | (−284.80, 69.94) | (−28.80, 143.27) | (15.47, 343.80) 1 | (33.59, 261.07) 1 | (−51.12, 125.97) | (−23.94, 308.35) | (−6.67, 226.48) | (−148.53, 213.13) | |
| Sulfur | −6186.04 | −3652.00 | −4870.00 | 1218.00 | 14,980.00 | 4489.00 | 1708.00 | −16,688.00 | 2781.00 | −19,469.00 |
| (−11,742.51, −629.56) 1 | (−13,893.00, 6590.00) | (−15,112.00, 5372.00) | (−3750.00, 6186.00) | (−21,926.00, −8034.00) | (−323.00, 9301.00) | (−2038.00, 5454.00) | (−23,717.00, −9658.00) 1 | (−2151.00, 7714.00) | (−27,120.00, −11,818.00) 1 | |
| Vanadium | 0.00 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| (−0.02, 0.02) | (−0.04, 0.04) | (−0.05, 0.04) | (−0.01, 0.03) | (−0.04,0.05) | (−0.02, 0.04) | (−0.02, 0.03) | (−0.05, 0.05) | (−0.03, 0.03) | (−0.05, 0.05) | |
1p-values were derived by Tukey’s post hoc test, and p < 0.05 considered statistically significant (shown in bold); 2 A positive mean difference indicates a higher nutrient level in samples of Himalayan origin, while a negative mean difference indicates a higher nutrient level in samples from other regions; 3 no arsenic or silver (mg/100 g) were detected in any of the pink salt samples.