This document is the national standard of the People's Republic of China GB 5461-2000 regarding edible salt. It revises and replaces the previous 1992 standard. The key changes include adding calculations for whiteness and chemical index based on wet percentage, stipulating sanitation index limitations, and deleting grade III products for some salt types. It specifies technical requirements, tests, quality rules, and packaging/storage for refined, washed, and solar edible salts. The main drafting units were the National Sea-lake Salt Standardization Center and China Well and Rock Salt Standardization Center.

1. GB 5461-2000
Preface
The standard is the revision of GB 5461-1992 Edible Salt.
This standard is not equivalent to POCT 13830-1984 Edible Salt. Calculation of
whiteness and chemical index according to wet base percentage is added in the
standard and sanitation index limitation is stipulated aiming at production raw
materials, production process and product quality conditions of China’s edible salt.
The standard is revised to delete the grade III products of common salt, refined
washed salt and solar salt and regulate the potassium iodate, particle size, whiteness
and partial
This national standard will replace GB 5461-1992 from the implementation date of
this standard.
This national standard was proposed by the State Bureau of Light Industry.
This national standard is under the jurisdiction of National Sea-lake Salt
Standardization Center which is also responsible for interpretation of this standard.
Main drafting units of this standard: National Sea-lake Salt Standardization Center
and China Well and Rock Salt Standardization Center.
Main drafters of this standard: Liu Zhida, Chen Sujuan, Zhang Nengjun, Wang Zhibin
and Fu Shuying.
This standard was firstly issued in October 1985 and revised for the first time in June
1992 and revised for the second time in December 1999.

2. National Standard of the People’s Republic of China
GB 5461-2000
Edible Salt Replace GB 5461-1992
1. Scope
This national standard specifies the technical requirements, test method, inspection rules
and packing, marks, storage and transportation of edible salt.
This national standard is applicable to the edible refined salt, refined washed salt and
solar salt.
2. Normative Standards
The following standards contain provisions which, through reference in this text,
constitute provisions of this standard. At time of publication, the editions indicated are
all valid. All standards are subject to revision, and parties to agreements based on this
standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent
editions of the standards indicated below.
GB/T 601-1988 Chemical Reagent-Preparation of Standard Solution for Titrimetric
Analysis (Volumetric Analysis)
GB/T 602-1988 Chemical Reagent–Preparations of Standard Solutions for Impurity
GB/T 603-1988 Chemical Reagent - Preparations of Reagent Solutions for Use in Test
Methods
GB/T6682-1992 Water for Analytical Laboratory Use - Specification and Test
Methods
GB 7718-1994 General Standard for the Labeling of Foods
GB/T 8618-1988 Sampling Methods of the Main Products in the Salt Industry
GB/T 13025.1-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry-Determination of grain size

3. GB/T 13025.2-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of
Whiteness
GB/T 13025.3-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry-Determination of Moisture
GB/T 13025.4-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of Insoluble
Matter
GB/T 13025.5-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry-Determination of Chloride
Ion
GB/T 13025.6-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry-Determination of Calcium
GB 5461-2000
and Magnesium Ions
GB/T 13025.7-1999 General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of Iodide
Ion
GB/T 13025.8- 1991 General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of Sulfate
Ion
GB/T 13025.9- 1991 General Test method in Salt Industry-Determination of Lead Ion
(Photometry)
GB/T 13025.10-1991 General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of
Potassium Ferrocyanide
GB/T 13025.11-1994 General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of Fluorine
GB/T 13025.12- General Test method in Salt Industry- Determination of Barium Ion
GB/T 13025.13-1994 General Test method in Salt Industry-Determination of Arsenic
Ion
3. Product Classification
Edible salt is crystal sodium chloride.
Edible salt is classified to refined salt, refined washed salt and solar salt according to
the production and processing methods.
Edible salt is classified to Superior Grade, Grade I and Grade II according to the
classification.

4. Molecular formula: NaCl
Approved by State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision
on April 20, 2000. Date of implementation: October 1, 2000

5. GB 5461-2000
Molecular weight:58. 44(according to the international atomic weight of 1997).
4. Technical Requirements
4.1 Sensory index: white and saline taste and free from extraneous odour and foreign
material obviously irrelevant to salt.
4.2 The physical and chemical indexes shall meet the regulations stipulated in table 1.
Table 1
Indexes Refined salt Refined washed salt Solar salt
Superio Grade I Grade Grade I Grade II Grade I Grade II
r grade II
Physical Whiteness, degree 80 75 67 55 55 45
indexes
≥
Particle size, % 0.15-0.85mm 0.5-2.5mm 0.5-2.5mm 1.0-3.5mm
≥
85 80 75 80 85 70
Chemical Sodium chloride 99.10 98.50 97.00 97.00 95.50 93.20 91.00
indexes
≥
(%)
Moisture 0.30 0.50 0.80 2.10 3.20 5.10 6.40
≤
Insoluble matter 0.05 0.10 0.20 0.10 0.20 0.10 0.20
≤
Water-solubility - - 2.00 0.80 1.10 1.60 2.40
impurity
≤
Sanitation Lead (calculated 1.0

6. indexes as Pb) ≤
(mg/kg) Arsenic(calculated 0.5
as As) ≤
Fluorine 5.0
(calculated as F)
≤
Barium 15.0
(calculated as
Ba)1) ≤
Potassium Iodine (calculated 35±15（20~50）
iodate as I)2)
(mg/kg)
Antitackiness Potassium 10.0
agent ferrocyanide
(calculated as
[Fe(CN)6]4-)≤
(mg/kg)
1) The determination is limited only to the edible salt made of the natural brine containing barium.
2) As for the edible salt not iodinated for the residents in the regions with high level iodide and the people for whom the
iodized salt are not suitable, the iodine content shall be smaller than 5 mg/kg and the package shall be provided with the
corresponding marking. Other indexes are unchanged.
5. Test Method
Reagents and water involved in the method, except otherwise specified, refer to the
analytical reagents and the three-level water specified in GB/T 6682.
The standard solution and impurity standard solution and preparation and products,
except otherwise specified, shall be prepared according to the regulations stipulated in
the national standards of GB/T 601,GB/T 602 and GB/T 603.
5.1 Determination of particle size
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.1.
5.2 Determination of whiteness

7. Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.2.
5.3 Determination of moisture
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.3.
5.4 Determination of insoluble matter
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
GB 5461-2000 13025.4.
5.5 Determination of the content of chloride ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.5.
5.6 Determination of the content of calcium ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.6.
5.7 Determination of the content of magnesium ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.6.
5.8 Determination of the content of sulfate ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.8.
5.9 Determination of the content of iodide ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.7.
5.10 Determination of the limited amount of lead ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.9.
5.11 Determination of the limited amount of arsenic ion

8. Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.13.
5.12 Determination of the limited amount of barium ion
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.12.
5.13 Determination of the limited amount of fluorine
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.11.
5.14 Determination of the limited amount of potassium ferrocyanide
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
13025.10.
5.15 Calculation of content of sodium chloride and water solubility impurity and
check on the inspection result.
GB 5461-2000 The percentage composition of the
single ions contained in the edible salt samples shall be obtained from various
inspection results above and then the compound composition shall be calculated
according to the orders stipulated in table 2. Sum of calcium sulphate, magnesium
sulfate, sodium sulfate, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride calculated is the
content of water solubility impurity and other calculation of chloride ions is the
content of sodium chloride.
Table 2
Negative ionpositive Calcium ion (Ca2+) Magnesium(Mg2+) Sodium ion(Na+)
ion
Sulphate (SO42-) (1) Calcium (2) Magnesium (3) Sodium sulfate
sulphate sulfate
Chloride ion(Cl-) (4) Calcium (5) Magnesium (6) Sodium
chloride chloride chloride
If it is calculated according to the sequence number, some kind of compound can not
be formed because of inexistence of negative ion or positive ion, so it shall be
calculated through supplementing data successively according to the subsequent
sequence number in turn. The calculation result shall be rounded to three decimal

9. places and take the two decimal places.
It is regarded that the analysis data is established, when the sum of the total compound
percentage plus the insoluble matter and moisture (loss of weight through baking plus
the residual crystal water or the measured value after ignition at 600℃) is between
99.50% and 100.40%.
The residual crystal water of edible salt after drying at 140 ℃ shall be calculated
according to that 1 calcium sulphate contains 1/2 crystal water and 1 magnesium
sulfate contains 1 crystal water and 1 magnesium chloride contains 2 crystal water and
1 calcium chloride contains 2 crystal water. The residual crystal water of edible salt
after drying at 110 ℃ shall be calculated according to that 1 calcium sulphate contains
1/2 crystal water and 1 magnesium sulfate contains 2 crystal water and 1 magnesium
chloride contains 4 crystal water and 1 calcium chloride contains 2 crystal water.
6. Inspection Rules
6.1 Batch
A batch refers to the products of the same grade and delivered at the same time
manufactured by the same process method.
6.2 The edible salt products shall be subjected to inspection batch by batch according
to the regulations stipulated in the standard by the inspection department of
manufacturing plant (site) or the sales department and after they pass the inspection
GB 5461-2000 the certification of fitness shall be
attached on the internal (external) package and then the products are allowed to be
delivered.
6.3 Sampling method and quantity
Implement it according to the regulations stipulated in the national standard of GB/T
8618.
6.4 The quality of edible salt product shall be subjected to the quality inspected during
delivery and in case of any dispute concerning the product quality between the
supplier and the demander, it shall deliver the product to the arbitration organization
jointly entrusted by the supplier and the demander and the inspection and judgment
shall be performed according to the regulations stipulated in the standard.
6.5 Mass deviation between the net weight of the edible salt product packaged and
that marked shall meet the requirements of Regulation on Metrological Supervision of
Quantitatively Packed Commodities issued by China.

10. 6.6 In case of failure of any one index (or any two indexes of particle size, whiteness
and water solubility impurity) in the inspection result to meet the requirements of the
regulations stipulated in the standard, test for the unqualified items of the reserved
sample of the same batch shall be done, and if it fails to meet the regulation of the
lowest level of the category of product after the reinspection it shall be judged that the
batch of product is unqualified.
7. Packing, Marks, Storage and Transportation
7.1 Carton box and woven bag with inside lining polyethylene film must be used for
the large packing of edible salt, with the weight of each piece of 25 kg or 50 kg. The
packing shall be provided with certification or qualification label and be marked with
name and address of manufacturer, product name and quantity and batch number and
the name (code) of inspector.
7.2 The polyethylene plastic bag, carton box and plastic box(bottle)( nontoxic) may be
used for the small packing of the edible salt, with the weight of each piece of 1000g ,
500g ,250g or below 250g, and the small packing must be marked with the main
elements stipulated in GB 7718 and be pasted with the iodized salt anti-fake label.
7.3 The means of transport of edible salt must be clean and dry and the appliances
during transportation must be bundled up firmly to guarantee that they are excellent
without damage, and it is forbidden to load the goods, possibly leading to the
pollution to the salt quality, with the edible salt. In case of any damage or quality
reduction caused by the transportation, the relevant parties shall be responsible for it.
7.4 The edible salt shall be kept well during storage. The storage warehouse shall be
well-ventilated and be free from rainwater and damp and the piled edible salt shall be
shielded and be provided with the clapboard and it is forbidden to stockpile the goods,
GB 5461-2000 which may possibly lead to the
pollution to the salt quality, together with the edible salt.