FDA Salt Substitute Rule: Look for Potassium Chloride on Labels

On October 9, 2026, the FDA announced in a constituent update that it has issued a final rule allowing salt substitutes, such as potassium chloride, to replace some or all of the added salt in 139 standardized foods, including cheddar, bread and canned tomatoes. The rule was published in the Federal Register on October 13, 2026 (91 FR 65040) and takes effect December 14, 2026, except for any dairy standard of identity (SOI) provisions stayed by proper objections. It does not require any specific substitute or any reformulation, and it does not create a new label requirement, so potassium chloride must still be named by its common or usual name on the package.

Key takeaways

• FDA announced the final rule in a constituent update dated October 9, 2026. It was published in the Federal Register on October 13, 2026 as 91 FR 65040, with an effective date of December 14, 2026.
• The rule adds 21 CFR 130.30 and covers 139 standards of identity: 80 directly amended and 59 more through cross-references.
• Potassium chloride must appear as 'potassium chloride' or 'potassium salt'. MSG used as a substitute must be declared as 'monosodium glutamate'. A generic 'salt substitute' name is not allowed.
• Potassium must be listed on the Nutrition Facts label when a food has 2% or more of the daily value per serving.
• Manufacturers are not required to use a substitute. FDA says the rule supports the Make America Healthy Again initiative and its Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals.

What happened

FDA's Human Foods Program issued a constituent update on October 9, 2026 announcing a final rule titled 'Use of Salt Substitutes To Reduce the Sodium Content in Standardized Foods.' The rule covers 139 standardized foods where salt (sodium chloride) is currently required or permitted under the food's standard of identity. The agency's announcement is available in its FDA constituent update on the final rule.

The rule was published in the Federal Register on October 13, 2026, as 91 FR 65040, under Docket No. FDA-2022-N-2226 and RIN 0910-AI72. The full final rule text is in the govinfo PDF of 91 FR 65040. FDA also said it will issue a report later this year on progress against the Phase I targets of its Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals.

What changed

The rule adds 21 CFR 130.30, which defines a 'salt substitute' as a safe and suitable ingredient, or combination of ingredients, used to reduce sodium by replacing some or all of the added salt. A substitute must serve the functions of salt in the food, and using one must not change the basic nature and essential characteristics of the food.

In practical terms, the rule directly amends 80 standards of identity and, through existing cross-references, covers 59 more, for a total of 139. The proposed version was published on April 10, 2023 (88 FR 21148).

The rule takes effect December 14, 2026, except for any dairy SOI provisions stayed by proper objections.

The rule describes replacement as 'some or all' of the added salt. No upper limit on how much salt may be replaced is disclosed, so readers should not assume a fixed ratio.

Who is affected

The amended standards cover a wide range of packaged foods. Listed cheese examples include cheddar, colby, cream cheese, blue, Swiss and other cheeses, along with sour cream, cultured milk, and eggnog. The list also includes bread, rolls and buns, self-rising flour, and macaroni and noodle products.

Vegetable and fruit entries include canned applesauce, canned green beans, corn, peas and tomatoes, tomato concentrates, and catsup. Canned tuna, canned Pacific salmon, and canned wet-pack shrimp are also on the list.

Ketchup is covered under its standard-of-identity name, catsup (21 CFR 155.194), which the final rule lists among the amended standards.

Two seafood and shellfish standards were not amended. FDA declined to amend the canned oysters standard because salt in that product appears only in a shucking saltwater solution. FDA also did not amend the frozen raw breaded shrimp standard, because that standard already allows safe and suitable batter and breading ingredients, which can include salt substitutes.

The rule does not require any manufacturer to use a substitute. FDA estimates no regulatory costs from the rule. Which brands plan to reformulate, and when reformulated products will reach shelves, was not disclosed.

What it means for shoppers

The rule does not add a new labeling requirement, and it does not allow a generic 'salt substitute' entry in the ingredient list. Substitutes must be declared by their common or usual name. For potassium chloride, that means 'potassium chloride' or 'potassium salt'. If monosodium glutamate is used, it must be declared as 'monosodium glutamate'. Allergen-containing substitutes must still declare the allergen.

Potassium is also relevant to the Nutrition Facts panel. Potassium must be declared when a food contains 2% or more of the daily value per serving.

How this will show up on packages is still open. The sources do not say whether front-of-package reduced sodium claims will change.

• Look for 'potassium chloride' or 'potassium salt' in the ingredient list.
• Look for 'monosodium glutamate' if you are looking for MSG used as a sodium-reducing ingredient.
• Check the allergen statement, since allergen-containing substitutes must declare the allergen.
• Check the potassium line on the Nutrition Facts panel when a food lists it.

The background

FDA's sodium reduction in the food supply page says average US sodium intake is about 3,400 mg per day, compared with the 2,300 mg per day limit advised for people aged 14 and older. The agency also says 90% of Americans eat more sodium than recommended, and that more than 70% of sodium comes from processed, packaged and prepared foods.

Before this rule, standards of identity that required or allowed salt did not permit substitutes. Under those standards, replacing salt with a substitute in one of the 139 foods would not have been permitted without a regulatory change. The final rule makes that change by adding the 21 CFR 130.30 definition and amending the affected standards.

FDA proposed the change on April 10, 2023, as 88 FR 21148. The final rule connects to the Make America Healthy Again initiative and to the Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals. For more on sodium that appears on labels under names other than salt, see our scanned-label guide to sodium ingredients beyond salt.

What to watch next

The key date is December 14, 2026, when the rule takes effect, except for any dairy SOI provisions stayed by proper objections. Readers should check the final Federal Register text for the dairy provisions, since the stay status is the one part of the timeline that could differ across food categories.

FDA has said it will issue a progress report on the Phase I targets later this year. That report may add context on sodium reduction, but FDA's announcement does not say what it will contain.

Several questions remain unanswered. The compliance date beyond December 14, 2026 was not disclosed. No brands are named as planning to reformulate, and no timing for reformulated products is given. For related context on monosodium glutamate as an ingredient, see our review of monosodium glutamate.

What the evidence cannot establish: it cannot show how many products will change, how much salt any product will replace, or whether consumer sodium intake will fall as a result.

Is potassium chloride in salt substitutes safe for everyone?

Potassium chloride is one salt substitute the rule names, but the rule does not require it. FDA acknowledged comments that potassium-based substitutes may be a concern for people with chronic kidney disease or heart failure because of hyperkalemia, which is a high level of potassium in the blood. In response, FDA pointed those readers to the potassium line on the Nutrition Facts label.

People with kidney disease, heart conditions, or those taking medicines that affect potassium should talk with a clinician about their own situation rather than relying on package wording.

How to spot a salt substitute on a food label

A practical check starts with the ingredient list. Under the rule, a substitute must appear under its common or usual name, so a generic phrase such as 'salt substitute' is not an acceptable declaration. Look for 'potassium chloride' or 'potassium salt' when you want to know whether potassium-based salt replacement is present.

Next, check whether monosodium glutamate appears. If a food uses MSG in place of some salt, the rule requires it to be declared as 'monosodium glutamate'. For background on how functional ingredients are explained on labels, see our Ingredient function labels, scanned: 6 examples that explain their ingredients guide.

Finally, read the Nutrition Facts panel. Sodium and potassium lines help you compare products within the same category. Because potassium is declared only at 2% or more of the daily value, a product without that line may still contain small amounts, so the absence of a line is not a complete answer.

To make these checks faster, scan the next label you pick up with the Aurascan app and read each ingredient's explanation, with cited evidence, yourself.