thanks cattrina, here is a merged image for you:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1874057209905952488/C438A9601C1F73E1BFBA120EDC9702AF14953A8B/

the top picture shows what my research window currently shows (which is another type of salt research that i have not yet unlocked), but there was a Salt processing blueprint item that i bought (for a good amount of cats), which unlocked the 3 buildings shown in the pictures below that.

from what i can tell, i have the required mods, above your fixes mod in terms of mod ordering, but it looks like the item on this mod page for salt, appears in my game as "crude salt" but it cant fit in the other machine.


here are 2 things i have not yet tried yet, but i can try these if you like:
1) to try a full import? (which i didnt yet since i had lots of prisoners on poles that i was trying to recruit / loot / make into biofuel :)
&
2) to try researching that other Salt related tech in research table?

im also not that good yet at kenshi lol

Yeah what you need is to turn the crude salt to table salt aka salt. You cannot eat chunks of mineral with earth pieces in it, you need to refine it using salt processor.

ah ok thanks, i try and give that go

many thanks its working :)
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1874057473825254184/780DD1F004EBD69E8FBD211208BEE502A7E1A6EC/