No, road salt is not safe to eat.
Why Road Salt Shouldn't Be Eaten
Road salt, unlike table salt used for cooking, contains various chemical additives and impurities. These additions, while harmless for de-icing roads, are unsafe for human consumption. For example, anti-caking agents and trace amounts of heavy metals are frequently found in road salt. These substances are not meant for ingestion and can pose health risks if consumed. It's crucial to keep road salt and culinary salt strictly separated.
- Chemical Additives: Road salt often includes chemicals to prevent clumping, which are not suitable for human consumption.
- Heavy Metals: Small amounts of heavy metals can contaminate road salt, posing potential health hazards.
- Impurities: The salt itself might contain other impurities not present in food-grade salt.
Therefore, consuming road salt is strongly discouraged. Stick to using only table salt or other food-grade salts for culinary purposes.