A crystalline compound formed when a mineral-containing acid solution is neutralised, or more broadly any salt supplying dietary minerals. In nutrition, mineral salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, and magnesium sulphate provide essential electrolytes and structural minerals. They appear in foods naturally, are added as fortificants, and form the basis of oral rehydration salts that save lives in diarrhoeal disease. In food technology, mineral salts serve as firming agents, acidity regulators, and nutrient supplements. The body needs these inorganic compounds in precise balances: too little causes deficiency disease, while excess, particularly of sodium, contributes to hypertension.