Salt is a natural element that is part of our life, for some it seems to be an unimportant product, however since its appearance it had great relevance, it was even used as payment for work, hence the word "salary".
Salt is a rock. It is the oldest condiment used by human beings and its importance in life has marked the development in its different stages, reaching great economic, political and culinary repercussions throughout the different civilizations that have been polishing our culture and ways of life. lifetime. It is a generalized product in all gastronomy and the world industry, either as condiments, essential preservative for food or non-food uses.
History of salt and how it ended up in a great industry
The use of this product begins in the time of the Chinese emperor Huangdi and dates back to 2670 ADC One of the first salt flats verified for use in human consumption is in the north of the province in a place full of mountains and salty lakes during the first At times of the empire the patricians insisted that each man had the right to a portion of common salt, giving fundamental importance to this product.
Aware of the importance of salt both the feudal lords and later the monarchs, charged taxes for the use and exploitation of salt becoming one of the most important income of the royal coffers.
Throughout the XNUMXth century, a series of important transformations were generated in the Spanish salt industry. With the generalization of industrial advances, the incorporation of new technologies and new procedures for obtaining salt it was modernized in the sector.
¿How is it obtained?
The salinera is a place where they allow salt water to evaporate, to leave only the salt, to be able to dry it and collect it for sale. They are distinguished by types of saline, the coastal ones, located on the coasts to use sea water, and those inland, in which salt water springs are used due to the water passing through underground salt deposits.
The men who established these salt industries are in charge of producing the salt that is used to season food when cooking, and to preserve it, in order to avoid fungi and bacteria pollute, it is also used for different industrial chemical processes such as the manufacture of glasses, soap, plastics, paper, cosmetics and medicines.
Current importance
Today salt is one more common ingredient in food. The daily amount of its intake is controlled and monitored in the hypertensive population and in some parts of the world iodine is served to prevent the appearance of hypothyroid goiter.
Salt affects the sense of taste because the human body has specialized sensors on the tongue capable of specifically detecting the salty taste of food.
In some cultures, individuals tend to consume more salt than required by the body, usually almost twice the recommended salt is consumed, it is much more than a seasoning that enhances the flavor of food. First of all, it is an essential mineral in life since our body needs it to function properly, it contributes:
- The body is well hydrated
- Helps control the amount of water in the body
- Helps regulate body fluids
- It is essential for the nervous system to transmit impulses to the brain
- Helps relax muscles
Dangers of consumption
Excess salt can be dangerous to health, the kidneys are not capable of eliminating it because it accumulates in the blood, the volume of blood increases and the heart is forced to work more so that it can circulate. What can trigger high blood pressure trastornos cardiovasculares, heart attacks or strokes.
Sodium deficiency causes the patient to have symptoms of apathy, weakness, fainting, anorexia, low blood pressure, circulatory collapse, shock, and finally death.
Environmental impact
Environmental legislation today is more demanding when establishing a company of any kind, therefore, many have questioned the environmental impact caused by a salt works in their territory.
A salinera could bring many labor benefits for a population, but it also harms us by depriving other species Causing serious environmental problems by changing the chemical properties of cultivated soils.
Evaporation process
This evaporation process is more intense in the tropics, and less in the polar zones. Surface waters are saltier because evaporation causes the salt concentration to increase. The saline content of many lakes, rivers, or streams is so small that these waters are called fresh water.
Why is salt salty?
A question that everyone asks, even the smallest, is related to how salty seawater is, this flavor is due to the fact that it contains sodium chloride. The percentage that exists in the oceans is 10,9%, 35 grams for each liter.
In the world, the highest consumption of salt is for the chemical industry, especially due to the use of its two components, chlorine and sodium. An important consumption of salt is destined to de-icing roads, mainly in the northern hemisphere, which coincides with the majority of developed countries.
Also, in recent times, the descaling of water has reached a great relevance being, even, a country's development index, from there arises the importance of this industry that some erroneously believe that it is linked only to human consumption, even salt is used for much more, according to the American Salt Institute, there are more than 14.000 uses.
Salinera Española: More than a century exploiting salt
One of the most recognized companies is the Spanish Salt Mines, founded in 1878, since then it has exploited various salt mines in the national territory. At present the productive heritage of the company is made up of the Salinas de Ibiza and the Salinas de San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia).
In the first decades of the XNUMXth century, and due to the importance of salt in the fishing industry (salting cod, canning vessels, and salting in general), the company had branches abroad. Newfoundland (Canada) and Calcutta (India) were some of the most relevant settings of this time.
Despite continuing to play an important role in the Fishing industry, the appearance of freezer vessels and the electric refrigerator were factors that caused a decrease in the consumption of salt in this sector, which determined that the company restructured its commercial policy, entering the new emerging markets such as the textile, chemical, pharmaceuticals, the food sector, water treatment, etc.
With this, new markets were opened in Norway, Faroe Island (Denmark), Iceland or the United Kingdom which are, in recent years, the destination countries of our exports.
With regard to the national market, its presence was consolidated in the most important sectors of the expansive Spanish industry. Thanks to the heavy investments made in the Salinas de San Pedro del Pinatar, they became one of the most modern and advanced factories on the national scene in terms of food and domestic uses of salt.
A company expanded all over the world
If there is a product that is of universal use, that is salt, its reserves are estimated as inexhaustible since its largest natural reservoir is the water of the seas and oceans. One of the circumstances that make salt unique is its process of obtaining totally ecological, since in its industrial production natural energy sources such as solar heat and the kinetics of air.
In relation to the numbers that determine the production of salt, it shows a regular evolution in the last year. Currently, in Spain the production of salt covers the needs of domestic consumption and, likewise, it allows us to maintain a firm international position as an exporting country.
Another of the most productive companies in this area in the world is Mexico, a country with salt mines in Baja California Sur. Saline production within Mexico is mainly concentrated in two regions: Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur and Mérida, Yucatán. The first one stands out for occupying the position of the largest salt mine in the world and for its enormous saltpeters.
In terms of exports, salt is shipped from Mexico to the main centers of consumption in the Pacific basin, such as Japan, Korea, the United States, Canada, Taiwan and New Zealand. Mexico ranks 7th in saline production worldwide and 1st in Latin America, producing around 8 tons of salt per year.