How is sea salt made? Follow the ocean-to-table journey.

Read Time: 3 minutes

October 08, 2024

Ever wondered where your sea salt comes from and how it’s made?

You might be surprised to learn that right in the San Francisco Bay, nature does most of the work. With sun, wind and time, we can produce hundreds of thousands of tons of sea salt each year.

At our Cargill facility in Newark, California — one of the major sea salt producers in North America — we’ve been perfecting the salt harvesting process for generations. Through nature, technology and a lot of patience, we bring sea salt from the ocean to your dinner table.

Here’s how we do it.

Behind the scenes: How we make your sea salt

how sea salt is made

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It all starts with nature

Sea salt production begins with ponds like these. Water is pumped in from the ocean, where it will stay for three to five years. The microorganisms that live in the ponds turn the water into shades of green, red, orange and pink based on the salinity of the water.

Eventually, as the water evaporates, the salt begins to crystallize. This is where the magic happens, turning seawater into salt.

Through the process of solar evaporation, these salt crystals are what’s left to be harvested.

After the salt crystals are washed for the first time, a truck will move them to a pile where they will continue to air dry.

The salt will naturally dry in piles until it is ready for processing, packaging and distribution.

The journey of your sea salt begins with water from the San Francisco Bay. We pump salty water into large ponds. Together, the sun and wind evaporate that water and leave behind salt crystals. This process is called solar evaporation.

Patience is key: This part of the process can take about three years to five years.

“The process is simple, but it takes time,” says Jennifer Olson, a Cargill plant manager in Newark. “We keep an eye on the brine — which is partially evaporated seawater — and we move it from pond to pond as it gets saltier until it’s ready to harvest.”

To harvest the salt, our machinery gently scrapes the crystals from the pond floor. It’s a method we’ve fine-tuned over the years, using modern technology to harvest the unique salt crystals that make sea salt so special.

Time to get cleaned up

how sea salt is made — The production of sea salt is simple — it takes sun, wind and time.

After we collect the salt, it heads inside for cleaning. First, we wash away any impurities, then we dry it out.

"We use a series of washes, an optical sorter, magnets and screens, ensuring our final product is clean," Jennifer explains.

The salt is then sorted into different sizes — coarse, medium or fine — depending on what our customers will use it for.

Packaging is next so the salt can be sent to customers. It’s used in everything from snack foods like potato chips to industrial products like road salt.

“We’re proud to be one of the major sea salt producers in North America,” Jennifer says. “Every batch is crafted with care, and our customers know they’re getting the best.”

Ready for our customers

Your sea salt’s next stop: our customers. Once our salt is prepped and packaged, we ship it to manufacturers, foodservice operators and retailers across the U.S., who use it in their food brands and other products.

The sea salt chips you snacked on last night? Chances are, they were flavored with sea salt from the San Francisco Bay. Our customers use this product for many purposes and in a range of goods — many of which can be found on grocery store shelves — like cheese, chocolate and baked goods.

At the end of this journey is hopefully a happy consumer. Salt makes food taste great and is a critical mineral for a balanced diet.

5 things you may not know about why sea salt matters to our food system

1. Powered by nature

Sea salt is harvested using the sun and wind, which makes it more energy efficient than other ways of producing salt. Less energy means fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Sustainable aquaculture hero

Sea salt is key for aquaculture, helping farms raise fish and shellfish sustainably as it helps mimic their natural environment. It’s a big part of producing enough food as our population grows.

3. Keeps food fresh

Sea salt has kept food like meat and fish fresh for centuries. By reducing waste, it makes sure more food stays available, even without a fridge.

4. Essential for flavor and nutrition

Sea salt not only enhances the taste of canned goods and snacks, but also provides essential minerals that support overall health. Its long-lasting freshness helps ensure both nutrition and flavor when fresh food isn’t available.

5. Boosts hydration

Sea salt has trace minerals that help balance fluids in the body. While you don’t want too much sodium, it’s important for keeping people healthy.

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