Commonly, sea salt is harvested by sun-induced evaporation of seawater accumulated in pools. The seawater first passes through pools with lesser concentration of salt and then it crystalizes. Before packing it into a final product, the sea salt is purified and iodized.
Iodization is performed in accordance with the requirements stipulated in the relevant legislation in Macedonia, i.e. 20 to 30 mg iodine per 1 kg salt. Unlike cooked salt, sea salt undergoes less processing, does not contain any additives and lowers the sodium intake when used in cooking. Due to its coarser texture, dosage per volume in food results in lower sodium consumption because a teaspoonful of cooked salt weighs more than a teaspoonful of sea salt
Besides sodium, sea salt also contains lower quantities of other minerals, like magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and chromium. However, the most important element is iodine, which is added to prevent goiter. Iodine contributes to the normal function of the nervous system, normal cognitive function, normal energy metabolism, normal function of the thyroid gland and the production of thyroid hormones, and most importantly, it contributes to children’s development.