( printed page 65040) AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is issuing a final rule to amend our standard of identity regulations that specify salt (sodium chloride) as a required or optional ingredient to permit the use of salt substitutes in standardized foods, to reduce the sodium content. Reducing sodium may help reduce the risk of hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The rule will help support a healthier food supply by providing flexibility to facilitate industry innovation in the production of standardized foods lower in sodium while maintaining the basic nature and essential characteristics of the foods. DATES: This rule is effective December 14, 2026. The incorporation by reference of certain material listed in this rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of December 14, 2026. Submit either electronic or written/paper objections or requests for a hearing on amendments to standards of identity for dairy products in parts 131 and 133 (21 CFR parts 131 and 133) under this final rule by November 12, 2026. See section VI for further information on the filing of objections on amendments to standards of identity for dairy products in parts 131 and 133. ADDRESSES: You may submit objections and requests for a hearing on amendments to standards of identity for dairy products in parts 131 and 133 as follows. Please note that late, untimely filed objections will not be considered. Electronic objections must be submitted on or before November 12, 2026. The https://www.regulations.gov electronic filing system will accept comments until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time at the end of November 12, 2026. Objections received by mail/hand delivery/courier (for written/paper submissions) will be considered timely if they are received on or before that date. Electronic Submissions Submit electronic objections the following way:Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Objections submitted electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your objection will be made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your objection does not include any confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your objection, that information will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.If you want to submit an objection with confidential information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the objection as a written/paper submission and in the manner detailed (see “Written/Paper Submissions” and “Instructions”).Written/Paper Submissions Submit written/paper submissions as follows:Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier (for written/paper submissions): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. For written/paper objections submitted to the Dockets Management Staff, FDA will post your objection, as well as any attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, as confidential, if submitted as detailed in “Instructions.” Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. FDA-2022-N-2226 for “Use of Salt Substitutes To Reduce the Sodium Content in Standardized Foods.” Received objections, those filed in a timely manner (see ( ADDRESSES ), will be placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as “Confidential Submissions,” publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 240-402-7500. Confidential Submissions—To submit an objection with confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly available, submit your objection only as a written/paper submission. You should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states “THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.” We will review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in our consideration of objections. The second copy, which will have the claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be available for public viewing and posted onhttps://www.regulations.gov. Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. If you do not wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of your objection and you must identify this information as “confidential.” Any information marked as “confidential” will not be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or access the information at: https://www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​FR-2015-09-18/​pdf/​2015-23389.pdf. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this final rule into the “Search” box and follow the prompts, and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, 240-402-7500.