Last night I made some popcorn and only had sea salt to season it. I didn't like the size of the crystals and decided to use a food processor to make them smaller. That worked great, but 5 minutes later, the smaller salt crystals were clumped together and difficult to sprinkle. Minerals are used as anti-caking agents in all kinds of foods. So, the next time you make hot chocolate from powder or sprinkle salt of your food, appreciate the minerals that made the product's consistency easier to use.
Sea salt is made from evaporated sea water, but halite (another type of salt) is mined. See our SMART Board lesson on how Halite is mined, processed and used
here.
*Minerals used for anti-caking properties may or may not be used in your salt or hot chocolate, these are just examples.