Nutritive contributions of sago ash used as a native salt in Papua New Guinea

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Abstract
Common salt (sodium chloride) is an important condiment used widely throughout the world. Natural sources of this mineral include sea water and saline springs, but they are not present in many areas, including parts of tropical America, Africa and New Guinea. Some groups living in these regions have developed techniques for preparing salts from plant materials. In New Guinea, the Sanio‐Hiowe people of the Wogamus River do not have a natural supply of salt, but they have developed a technique for preparing a salty ash from the midribs of the sago palm (Metroxylon sp.). The ash was not used for salting other foods but was eaten by itself at irregular intervals. It was estimated that not more than 2 g of sago salts was consumed in a day by an adult. A chemical analysis of the minerals of the ash was made. The ash was strongly alkaline; 2 g of the material would provide 12 mg sodium, 526 mg potassium, 234 calcium and 69 mg of magnesium. In addition to supplementing the dietary intakes of these nutrients, the alkalinity of the ash might also play an important role in sparing dietary protein, the intake of which was precariously low in the Sanio‐Hiowe population. Abandoning native salts for commercial sodium chloride is a feature of acculturation. The physiological and nutritional implications of such a change are discussed. There is a need for further information on the use and composition of native salts.

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