The rice in the salt shaker is more to keep the salt in the shaker from clumping, since I don't think I've ever seen someone dump out a shaker before they refill them. Usually it's a top-off at the end of the day.

Yes Ironraven, I know salt is needed for life. It also happens I did grow up near the Pacific... but I digress.

Again, what's the point of keeping salt? It's so common it's scary. Most food has salt in it. More so if you're storing pre-packaged food. That's why those 2gram, low-sodium diets are so hard for cardiac patients. Heck, even soda has sodium in it.