Whether with the breakfast egg, for lunch or in the evening on tomato bread – salt is used in almost every meal. Reason enough for Stiftung Warentest to test classic table salt with and without added iodine. Read here which brands are convincing and what you should pay attention to when salting.
Stiftung Warentest tested table salts in issue 1/2023. The 41 salts were tested, among other things, for their appearance and mouthfeel, as well as their smell and taste. However, the coverage of the need for iodine and fluoride was also checked, but the latter was not included in the final evaluation of the test. The chemical quality of the minerals was then determined in the laboratory. The Warentest experts examined, among other things, classic salts enriched with iodine or fluoride, seven Fleur de Sel, as well as salts with less sodium and 14 salts that were not enriched. Basically, however, it is recommended that iodine is added to every everyday salt. Because: Many people in Germany suffer from an iodine deficiency.
The result of the salt test is positive. 27 out of 41 table salts performed well, not a single product failed. Only 13 products received a “satisfactory” rating from Stiftung Warentest – nine of which are non-enriched salts. Only one salt is punished with a “sufficient”. Also worth mentioning: Both branded and cheap discounter products perform “well” in the test. However, the discounter products often only cost a fraction of the more expensive branded salts.
Fleur de Sel
The “Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc Natural” from Mallorca achieved first place with a grade of 1.7. It is formed in sea bays where wind and sun concentrate and dry out the salt water. On Amazon, the top table salt costs a whopping eight euros. Luckily second place is cheaper: the “Kania Fleur de Sel” from the Lidl discounter market. With a grade of 1.8 and a retail price of two euros, it also scores “very well”, but is more affordable than the Mallorcan luxury salt.
Jodsalze
A well-known classic prevails among the iodized salts: Bad Reichenhall’s “AlpenJodSalz” scores “good” in the test and convinces in all categories. The “Carat iodized salt with fluoride fine-grained” from Netto also impressed with a grade of 1.8.
Reduced sodium salts
Among the sodium-reduced salts, “Disal light salt iodized” ( to the shop ) emerges as the winner. The only criticism is the slightly bitter taste and the “slightly medicinal” smell of the salt. According to the test experts, the chemical quality is also only “sufficient”. The “Pansalz iodised table salt with potassium and magnesium” ( to the shop ), on the other hand, survives the strict quality test in the chemical laboratory of the Stiftung Warentest. In addition, as the “Disal” salt, it sufficiently covers the daily need for iodine and fluoride. However, the testers had to make compromises in terms of the user-friendliness of the packaging. That is why the “Pansalz” ultimately only came in second.
Non-fortifying salts
The majority of salts that are not fortified with iodine only perform “satisfactorily”. Nevertheless, the winner of the middle class salts again comes from Bad Reichenhaller. The salt blossoms are one of the few with a “good” (grade 2.0) and are even “very good” in terms of taste. You pay around five euros for a 100-gram jar.
You can read the detailed test report for a fee at Stiftung Warentest.
