US salt-substitute rule opens a reformulation window for food exporters

Food Ingredients First reports that a US FDA final rule expands the use of salt substitutes across 139 food standards of identity. Published on 13 October, the measure is scheduled to take effect on 14 December 2026. It concerns standardized products whose rules specify salt, with affected categories including cheese, bread and canned vegetables. Manufacturers can choose whether to reformulate.

The rule allows safe, suitable ingredients or combinations to replace some or all added sodium chloride. Substitutes must retain the relevant functions of salt and the food’s essential characteristics. Existing ingredient-safety requirements continue to apply. Dairy provisions also have an objection process, with submissions due by 12 November.

Cosmo’s buyer interpretation: an export project should start with the product’s applicable US standard and its current specification. Buyers can ask their manufacturing partners to document the proposed replacement, its technical purpose, and the evidence supporting the finished recipe. A broader permission should not be treated as a completed product assessment.

Commercial planning should link formulation trials to sensory approval, shelf-life validation, label review and agreed change-control responsibilities. Buyers comparing quotations should request the same finished-product specification from each supplier, rather than compare ingredient prices alone. For products sold in several countries, review each destination’s requirements separately before commissioning common packaging.

Source: Food Ingredients First — US FDA salt substitute rule expands sodium reduction options for manufacturers. Published 14 October 2026.

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