Salt Mix "Raw Materials"?

[GoVols]

Does any salt mix manufacturers produce their own raw materials and make their salt or do all of them buy the raw materials and mix them to make their salt mixes.

I figure IO is the biggest so if they don't supply their own then nobody does.

Thanks, GoVols

 

[Brew12]

Does any salt mix manufacturers produce their own raw materials and make their salt or do all of them buy the raw materials and mix them to make their salt mixes.

I figure IO is the biggest so if they don't supply their own then nobody does.

Thanks, GoVols

Great question! Following along.

 

[GoVols]

@jsker
Asked me in a PM this weekend.
So I posted it and this was my thoughts to him.

"My Brother-in-law retired as a VP at Morton Salt and was on the board of directors. Years ago a huge chemical company bought them up but never changed the name. So they used Morton to supply their corporation things they needed that Morton produced in their chemical products and lab work during development and they made the profit that Morton was already making too.
Since that time they split and Morton Salt is back as a private company.

So let's say a huge chemical company owns IO in France, then I'd say the mother company would supply the raw material to the daughter which would be IO."

 

[jsker]

@jsker
Asked me in a PM this weekend.
So I posted it and this was my thoughts to him.

"My Brother-in-law retired as a VP at Morton Salt and was on the board of directors. Years ago a huge chemical company bought them up but never changed the name. So they used Morton to supply their corporation things they needed that Morton produced in their chemical products and lab work during development and they made the profit that Morton was already making too.
Since that time they split and Morton Salt is back as a private company.

So let's say a huge chemical company owns IO in France, then I'd say the mother company would supply the raw material to the daughter which would be IO."

ahhh, but you put it out there and I am glad you did.

My thought was, I wonder if all the pharm salt used in salt mixes are manufactured in one place, then mixed by the brands and packaged. if so this is were some inconsistencies to could take place in the raw product.

I read some were that there was a large pharm salt company in Israel.

 

[GoVols]

My thought was, I wonder if all the pharm salt used in salt mixes are manufactured in one place, then mixed by the brands and packaged. if so this is were some inconsistencies to could take place in the raw product.

I read some were that there was a large pharm salt company in Israel.

Lol,
Tagging with ya!

 

[jsker]

Lol,
Tagging with ya!

I think this is a conversation that need to be had?

We have seen and read conversation in the past about salt brands with inconsistency. Most of the time problems start at the foundation. What make the grade? Where is the salt manufactured?

After looking into were most sea salts are desalinated, that we consume as humans, I do not use sea salt anymore.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Does any salt mix manufacturers produce their own raw materials and make their salt or do all of them buy the raw materials and mix them to make their salt mixes.

I figure IO is the biggest so if they don't supply their own then nobody does.

Thanks, GoVols

What do you mean make their own raw materials? Like make their own sodium fluoride component? That sort of thing? I think it unlikely any do that sort of thing. It definitely would not be cost effective.

 

[Ted_C]

While ESV doesn't actually "manufacture" sodium chloride or Magnesium Sulfate - they do provide all the raw materials needed to make artificial saltwater (seperatly). they pride theirselves on the low heavy metal content of their sodium chloride.

 

[GoVols]

It definitely would not be cost effective.

I agree.
Unless they are owned by a huge chemical corporation that could supply them their elements, then it could be very profitable for both.

Randy,
Do Salt mix companies go and buy what they need from whom ever or is there only one or two places in the world that they all buy from?

Thanks, Freddie

 

[jsker]

Starting to get some good input.

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Might be interesting to hear from folks working for larger public aquariums.

Several months ago, we were up in Baltimore at the National Aquarium doing one of their behind the scenes tours (well worth the extra money IMO if you get the chance). Met another reefer dragging his spouse along for the tour. Had a great time chatting with him, but both of us were shocked to learn they used plain 'ole Baltimore municiple water and were blending their own salt. No commercial mixes. No natural seawater. They are literally buying the raw materials and rolling their own.

M

 

[GoVols]

Might be interesting to hear from folks working for larger public aquariums.

Several months ago, we were up in Baltimore at the National Aquarium doing one of their behind the scenes tours (well worth the extra money IMO if you get the chance). Met another reefer dragging his spouse along for the tour. Had a great time chatting with him, but both of us were shocked to learn they used plain 'ole Baltimore municiple water and were blending their own salt. No commercial mixes. No natural seawater. They are literally buying the raw materials and rolling their own.

M

That's great to know.

Thanks for your post.

 

[JimWelsh]

Might be interesting to hear from folks working for larger public aquariums.

Several months ago, we were up in Baltimore at the National Aquarium doing one of their behind the scenes tours (well worth the extra money IMO if you get the chance). Met another reefer dragging his spouse along for the tour. Had a great time chatting with him, but both of us were shocked to learn they used plain 'ole Baltimore municiple water and were blending their own salt. No commercial mixes. No natural seawater. They are literally buying the raw materials and rolling their own.

M

Google the phrase "matt wandell salt mix recipe" and click on the first link. Then google who Matt Wandell is, and where he has worked.

 

[Rick.45cal]

The company that makes Red Sea Salt uses seawater (from the red sea) that's pumped into evaporation ponds, there is a chain of them and the seawater is moved from one to the next, in each pond different elements are left behind, heavy metals in the first for example. In the final pond what is left is nearly pure NaCl, to which they add back the other stuff (supposedly)

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Google the phrase "matt wandell salt mix recipe" and click on the first link. Then google who Matt Wandell is, and where he has worked.

Interesting read. Thanks for pointing us there.

M

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree.
Unless they are owned by a huge chemical corporation that could supply them their elements, then it could be very profitable for both.

Randy,
Do Salt mix companies go and buy what they need from whom ever or is there only one or two places in the world that they all buy from?

Thanks, Freddie

I really don't know the details of the businesses, but I expect that for most of the chemicals, there are a number of suppliers worldwide.

 

[GoVols]

I expect that for most of the chemicals, there are a number of suppliers worldwide.

Agreed.

Thank You

 

[GoVols]

Might be interesting to hear from folks working for larger public aquariums.

Several months ago, we were up in Baltimore at the National Aquarium doing one of their behind the scenes tours (well worth the extra money IMO if you get the chance). Met another reefer dragging his spouse along for the tour. Had a great time chatting with him, but both of us were shocked to learn they used plain 'ole Baltimore municiple water and were blending their own salt. No commercial mixes. No natural seawater. They are literally buying the raw materials and rolling their own.

M

Do you know if their mixing a basic salt for huge fish only aquariums or are they blending in all the trace elements needed for corals too?

I've been to the Chattanooga Aquarium and they only have smaller exhibits that are actually growing corals.

Regards, GoVols

 

[GoVols]

@Lou Ekus
Lou,
If you don't mind...

Do you have any incite to this thread?

I'm guessing that TM buys their pharmaceutical grade materials from companies that they trust, then TM does the job to blend them into the final mix.

Would that be correct?

Regards, GoVols

 

[Lou Ekus]

@Lou Ekus
Lou,
If you don't mind...

Do you have any incite to this thread?

I'm guessing that TM buys their pharmaceutical grade materials from companies that they trust, then TM does the job to blend them into the final mix.

Would that be correct?

Regards, GoVols

I certainly can't speak for any other salt manufacturer, but Tropic Marin purchases the chemical components, for it's salt mixes, from sources that we have been using for many years. We depend on these sources to keep our supply consistent. And they have proven to be very dependable over the years. That being said, we routinely check the quality of raw materials coming in for the manufacturing process to insure this quality even using pharmaceutical grade raw materials.