Consistency of preferences for salt in different foods

While there is evidence for preferences for salt concentrations in a particular food being predictive of normal salt intake of an individual, the prediction is relatively weak. One reason for this may be that individuals do not have a consistent liking for high or low salt levels across different foods. Thirty-two subjects (16 males and 16 females) took part in a study where they tasted four foods varying in salt content, and rated them on a 100-mm graphic relative-to-ideal rating scale. This was anchored at the left with the label "Not nearly salty enough," at the right with "Much too salty," and in the center with "Just right." The foods were tomato soup (34-1215 mg Na/100 g), bread (136-952 mg Na/100 g), boiled potato (8-1335 mg Na/100 g), and meat pate (73-1741 mg Na/100 g).