Salt is essential for life in general, and saltiness is one of the basic human tastes. Salt is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous food seasonings, and salting is an important method of food preservation. Of the annual global production of around two hundred million tonnes of salt, about 6% is used for human consumption. Edible salt is sold in forms such as sea salt and table salt which usually contains an anti-caking agent and may be iodized to prevent iodine deficiency. As well as its use in cooking and at the table, salt is present in many processed foods.
