FDA Final Rule Opens 139 Standardized Foods to Salt Substitutes
A new FDA final rule lets makers of 139 standardized foods use salt substitutes. It is voluntary and takes effect 60 days after October 13 publication.
For decades, the recipes for many standardized foods allowed salt but not salt substitutes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now changed that for 139 of them.
TLDR
- The final rule covers 139 foods with federal standards of identity.
- Those standards allowed or required salt, but not salt substitutes.
- The rule is voluntary. It does not name specific substitutes.
- It publishes on October 13 and takes effect 60 days later.
What the Rule Does
A standard of identity is a federal recipe that defines what a food must contain to carry a common name. Many of those standards list salt as an ingredient, and until now they did not allow manufacturers to swap in a salt substitute without stepping outside the standard.
The final rule generally permits ingredients to be used as salt substitutes in those 139 foods. It does not name which substitutes can be used, leaving the choice to manufacturers. The change is voluntary.
The Timeline
The rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on October 13, 2026, and takes effect 60 days after publication.
Why It Matters
FDA says the rule supports its Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals, which aim to bring down how much sodium Americans eat. For manufacturers, it removes a regulatory obstacle to reformulating familiar foods with less sodium. Expect more “reduced sodium” versions of standardized products, and more attention on how the substitutes taste and how they are labeled.
Sources: FDA; Federal Register; Food Safety Magazine.