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Solutions · Ingredient Reformulation

Low sodium& natural preservatives.

Salt and preservatives are both safety systems, which is why these two projects belong together. Remove one and the product’s protection has to be rebuilt, not just its flavor.

Advisory project today · Platform module coming soon

Salt is doing more than seasoning

Salt limits pathogens and spoilage organisms, largely by lowering water activity. It also helps control fermentation, binds proteins for texture, adds flavor and masks bitterness. Cut it and each of those has to be accounted for.

Potassium chloride brings bitter, chemical and metallic notes, and research shows blends with sodium chloride reduce them. Potassium is also a required line on the Nutrition Facts panel.

What FDA has done on sodium

FDA’s targets are voluntary. Phase I was finalized in October 2021. Phase II, a draft from August 2024, proposes three-year targets for 163 food categories, aiming for about 2,750 mg a day. We found no final Phase II guidance as of this review.

One thing is new. A final rule published October 13, 2026 lets 139 standards of identity use salt substitutes, effective December 14, 2026. It does not permit any ingredient not already allowed in non-standardized foods, and the substitute has to serve the functions salt serves in that food.

What is actually under review

FDA has open reassessments of BHA, BHT and azodicarbonamide, with requests for information published in 2026. Those are reviews, not bans, and FDA previously concluded the authorized uses were safe.

State law is further ahead. California’s Food Safety Act bars brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and Red 3 from food sold in the state starting January 1, 2027. West Virginia’s law also names BHA and propylparaben, and its statewide provisions are currently enjoined.

Why natural preservation takes more than one ingredient

Hurdle technology is the established idea here: preservation comes from a combination of factors such as temperature, pH and water activity. Lower the salt and you have removed one of them.

Natural options are narrower than they sound. In the CFR, natamycin is listed for cheese at up to 20 mg per kg, and nisin for pasteurized cheese spreads at up to 250 ppm. Any other use needs its own basis. A USDA research summary found Listeria could still grow within six weeks in natural ham and turkey treated with vinegar-based blends, which is why extra hurdles were needed.

Chemical preservatives must also be declared with their function under 21 CFR 101.22(j), so confirm how your replacement should be labeled.

Questions R&D teams ask

Are FDA’s sodium targets mandatory?

No. Phase I and the draft Phase II targets are voluntary. Phase II has not been finalized as far as we could find.

Can we use potassium chloride in a standardized food now?

FDA’s final rule, effective December 14, 2026, allows safe and suitable salt substitutes in standards that require or allow salt. It must still perform salt’s functions in that food, and it is declared as potassium chloride or potassium salt.

Is FDA banning BHA or BHT?

No ban or proposed ban was found. FDA has open reassessments. Propylparaben is treated differently in California, where it is barred from January 1, 2027.

Can a natural preservative replace BHA one for one?

Usually not. Plan on a system that combines ingredients with pH, water activity, packaging and cold chain, and confirm it with shelf life and safety testing.