It might look pretty, but a pinch of this stuff will cost you. 500 grams of pink Himalayan salt can cost around R30, up to 6 times more than generic table salt. But why is it so expensive?

Although there are reportedly an estimated 84 different minerals in it, only 2% of the salt is made up of these minerals (which give it the pink colour). This means pink Himalayan salt is nutritionally similar to regular salt.

There's an argument that it's more mineral rich. Does this have any kind of impact? Himalayan contains nearly 80 minerals, including phosphorus, bromine, boron, and zinc.

For the wellness market, a common perception of the salt is that it contains less sodium, which makes it a prized feature in healthy cooking.

The artisan salt market is booming though. Global salt consumption is forecast to be worth R204 billion by 2020. For the consumer, pink Himalayan salt is marketed as tasting more luxurious and flavourful. But does it taste better for the price?

Is the mining and distribution process what's making the product pricier?

Most of the pink salt mines in the world are based in the Punjab region of Pakistan, where the mineral stems from 200millionyearold sea salt beds.

Here the cost of mining is relatively low, and the raw material is in abundance. The Khewra Salt Mine is the largest of these, producing 318,000 tonnes per year.

Even though there is a big supply, skilled workers here use traditional methods to harvest the salt.

And you can only find salt with this kind of colour in very few places, such as the Murray River in Australia and Maras, Peru.

For the wellness market, this rare salt also has healing properties. The producers of pricey salt lamps claim Himalayan salt helps to remove mucus and allergens from the air. And salt chambers at spas promise detoxification.


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