FDA to Change Standards to Include Salt Substitutes
The proposed rule could help support a healthier food supply by facilitating industry innovation
The US Food and Drug Administration proposed changes to the standards of identity (SOIs) for foods that include salt to permit the use of safe and suitable salt substitutes. The proposed rule would help support a healthier food supply by providing flexibility to facilitate industry innovation in the production of standardized foods to reduce sodium content, in the same manner that is already possible for non-standardized foods. This has the potential to contribute to better health outcomes by helping consumers to gradually reduce their sodium intake.
"Today's action is another step forward in our efforts to improve nutrition and reduce chronic disease by providing manufacturers another tool to lower the use of sodium in food production. This approach may help reduce Americans' sodium intake and lower their risk of hypertension, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke," said FDA commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. "Creating a healthier food supply, a key priority in the FDA's nutrition work, has the potential to improve Americans' health and reduce preventable diet-related diseases and deaths. Reducing sodium in the food supply may also advance health equity—unfortunately, hypertension and other diet-related diseases disproportionally impact underserved communities."