Dive Brief:
- The FDA will allow manufacturers to use salt substitutes in milk, bread, condiments and dozens of other food items as part of an effort to reduce Americans' sodium consumption.
- A final rule released this week would give manufacturers the flexibility to use suitable salt substitutes in 139 foods. The move loosens the products' standards of identity, which dictates ingredient composition of foods to prevent adulteration.
- The rule declines to list specific salt substitutes manufacturers must use in order to facilitate flexibility and future innovation. However, substitutes must not change the "basic nature and essential characteristics" of the food.
Dive Insight:
Nearly 90% of Americans consume more sodium than the recommended daily amount, according to the American Heart Association, with packaged food making up the majority of the source. Reducing sodium is a key component to lowering blood pressure and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.
Many manufacturers, however, were unable to reduce the sodium in their foods even if they wanted to. FDA standards of identity detail what foods must contain to ensure products are in line with what consumers expect, and many products must have salt as an ingredient to meet those requirements.
FDA released voluntary sodium reduction guidelines in 2021, which were nonbinding recommendations for manufacturers and foodservice operators to cut down the ingredient. In 2024, the department built on those guidelines with new targets aimed at reducing U.S. average sodium intake over a three-year period from more than 3,400 milligrams per day to 2,750 milligrams per day.
Researchers found that following the FDA's 2021 guidelines, sodium content across food categories experienced a median decline of only 3%, with many restaurant foods increasing sodium content.
The International Dairy Foods Association, which represents makers of dairy products including cheese and yogurt, welcomed the rule but called on the FDA to continue evaluating progress under existing sodium reduction targets before considering future action.
"This update provides dairy manufacturers with additional flexibility to reduce sodium while maintaining product quality, safety and consumer expectations," IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes said in a statement.
