The LuLac Edition #5, 810, November 1st, 2026

 

FDA APPROVES CH ANGE

IN SODIUM FOODS

 

Your next grilled cheese could come with a little less sodium, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On Oct. 9, the FDA announced a final rule to “permit the use of salt substitutes in foods with standards of identity that specify salt as a required or optional ingredient.” Once most of the changes take effect on Dec. 14, manufacturers can replace some or all of the added salt in dozens of grocery staples with lower-sodium alternatives.

As Food & Wine previously reported, the FDA began setting standards of identity (SOIs) in 1939, when products sold as jam sometimes contained very little fruit. The goal was to promote “honesty and fair dealing” and ensure the “characteristics, ingredients and production processes of specific foods are consistent with what consumers expect.” The agency has since created more than 250 of them, which is why your ketchup can’t be called ketchup (an ideal pairing for that gilled cheese) unless it’s made from tomatoes and seasoned with vinegar, a sweetener, and spices or flavorings such as onion and garlic, according to the FDA. It also has to pass a thickness test as part of that standard, flowing no more than 14 centimeters in 30 seconds.

Until now, most of those standards didn’t allow salt substitutes, so a company that wanted to reduce sodium in its mozzarella or sandwich bread couldn’t use one and still call the product mozzarella or bread. The final rule updates 80 of those standards to allow salt substitutes, and because 59 others are tied to them, the change affects 139 foods in total, including cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, maple syrup, milk chocolate, canned tuna, and yes, ketchup.

The FDA didn’t name specific substitutes, but it did so on purpose so the rule covers ingredients available now and those developed later. Potassium chloride came up often in public comments as a potential alternative, with the FDA noting that some comments said that “the use of potassium chloride may give a bitter or metallic taste to food but [suggested] that research supports replacement of sodium with potassium chloride below certain levels to help avoid the bitter or metallic taste.”

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Although the FDA used potassium chloride as an example in its proposed rule, it noted that “the final rule does not limit salt substitutes to only potassium-based ingredients.” It also cited research on other potential substitutes, including yeast extracts, MSG, amino acids, and dairy extracts. Whatever companies choose to use as a substitute must be “safe and suitable” and perform the same function salt did in that food, whether adding flavor or helping preserve it.

What does “low sodium” actually mean?

Just because a food contains a salt substitute doesn’t mean it’s low in sodium. The FDA has specific requirements for the claims manufacturers can make on food packaging, and some terms mean very different things. Here’s what those labels actually mean:

Sodium-free: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Very low sodium: 35 milligrams or less per serving.

Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving.

Reduced sodium: At least 25% less sodium than the regular version.

No salt added: No salt was added during processing, but the food may still contain naturally occurring sodium.

These are the FDA’s general definitions, and some products have additional labeling requirements. To see how much sodium you’re actually getting, check the Nutrition Facts panel and pay attention to serving sizes.

The change also has strong support, including from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). On Oct. 14, Michael Dykes, the president and CEO of the IDFA, said his organization “welcomes FDA’s final rule permitting the use of salt substitutes in standardized foods, including many dairy products and cheeses. This update provides dairy manufacturers with additional flexibility to reduce sodium while maintaining product quality, safety, and consumer expectations.”

Dykes added, “IDFA has long supported this approach and urged FDA to finalize the rule as part of broader standards of identity modernization efforts. We also appreciate FDA’s commitment to further evaluating progress under existing sodium reduction targets and encourage the completion of the evaluation before considering future actions.”

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The goal, the FDA said, is to help Americans reduce sodium intake over time. The FDA noted in its statement that “Americans consume too much sodium. Excess sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. The final rule supports the Make America Healthy Again initiative and the FDA’s broader sodium reduction efforts, including the multi-phase Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals, which encourage industry to gradually reduce the sodium content of their products across the U.S. food supply.”

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t expect your pantry to change overnight. The rule is both new and voluntary, so it’s up to companies to decide what to do. But when things do change, you’ll still know what’s in your food because substitutes must also be listed by name. So “salt” will always be “salt,” while “potassium chloride” will appear as “potassium chloride” or “potassium salt.”