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Story: Salt

A bucket of salt

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A bucket of salt

This worker in a dairy factory is about to tip a bucket of salt into a large butter churn. At the time, in 1947, salt was added to butter at a rate of 1.5–2% by weight. Before refrigeration, salt was an important addition: salted butter lasted much longer than the unsalted variety. In 2005, blocks of butter still had the same percentage of added salt. The dairy industry remains a heavy user of salt, mainly in its butter and cheesemaking processes.

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Alexander Turnbull Library, National Publicity Studios Collection

Reference: 1/2-034251; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Salt – Sea salt, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4327/a-bucket-of-salt (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 2 March 2009.