Key Points/Overview
Sodium chloride is an essential nutrient and is used in healthcare to help prevent patients from becoming dehydrated.
It is used as a food preservative and as a seasoning to enhance flavor.
Sodium chloride is also used in manufacturing to make plastics and other products, and it is used to de-ice roads and sidewalks.
Salt is regulated by the FDA as a “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) ingredient. A GRAS substance is one that has a long history of safe, common use in foods, or that is determined to be safe, for the intended use, based on proven science.