The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing to change its standard of identity regulations, including salt (sodium chloride) as a required or optional ingredient, to permit the use of salt substitutes.

The agency says the goal is to reduce sodium content in standardized foods, noting that cutting sodium content could reduce the risk of hypertension, which is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. The proposed rule, if finalized, could facilitate industry innovation while maintaining the basic nature and essential characteristics of the standardized foods.

The proposed rule doesn’t include specific salt substitutes, but it would cover the use of ingredients and combinations of ingredients currently and in the future. The FDA cited examples, such as potassium chloride, herbs, spices, yeast extracts, monosodium glutamate (MSG), amino acids and dairy extracts.

Additionally, the rule wouldn’t establish a minimum salt replacement level or specific sodium content for the foods, nor would it establish any production parameters.

The standards of identity that would change include:

• Acidified milk
• Cultured milk
• Sour cream
• Eggnog
• Bread, rolls and buns
• Self-rising flour
• Self-rising corn meal
• Macaroni and noodle products
• Canned applesauce and figs
• Fruit butter
• Canned beans, corn, peas, mushrooms and other vegetables
• Canned tomatoes, tomato concentrates, tomato juice and catsup
• Canned oysters, Pacific salmon, wet-pack shrimp and tuna
• Chocolate liquor, sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate and breakfast cocoa
• Margarine
• Cane, maple, sorghum and table syrup
• Mayonnaise
• Salad dressing

The proposed rule also includes amendments for more than 40 categories of cheeses.

The FDA introduced the proposed rule in April 2023 and accepted comments until Aug. 10, 2023. The final rule is expected in September 2025.