Is salt vegan?

Salt, primarily composed of sodium chloride, is a naturally occurring mineral substance widely used as a seasoning, curing agent, and preservative. It is sourced either through the mining of underground halite deposits or via the solar evaporation of seawater and inland salt brines. After extraction, raw salt is washed, dissolved, recrystallized, or crushed, and it may be treated with basic mineral anticaking agents to maintain a free-flowing texture.

This ingredient is listed on labels across nearly every category of packaged food, including baked goods, processed vegetables, soups, sauces, snacks, and plant-based meat substitutes. Salt is classified as vegan because it is an inorganic mineral derived exclusively from the earth and natural bodies of water. Neither the ingredient itself nor the conventional methods used to extract and refine it involve animal sources, animal tissues, or animal-derived processing aids.