FSC 8940 

 A-A-20069C 

December 10, 2007

SUPERSEDING 

A-A-20069B 

April 16, 1997 

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION 

 SALT SUBSTITUTES

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized 

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID). 

1. SCOPE. This CID covers salt substitutes, packed in commercially acceptable containers, 

suitable for use by the Federal, State, local governments, and other interested parties. 

2. PURCHASER NOTES. 

2.1 Purchasers shall specify the following: 

- Type(s) of salt substitutes desired (Sec. 3). 

- When analytical requirements are different than specified (Sec. 6.1). 

- When analytical requirements need to be verified (Sec. 6.4). 

- Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification (Sec. 9.2) or USDA certification (Sec. 9.3). 

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following:

- Manufacturer’s quality assurance (Sec 9.1 with 9.1.1) or (Sec 9.1 with 9.1.2). 

- Packaging requirements other than commercial (Sec. 10). 

3. CLASSIFICATION. The salt substitutes shall conform to the following list which shall be 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

Types. 

Type I - Potassium chloride 

Type II - Potassium chloride with L-lysine 

METRIC
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4. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S NOTES. Manufacturer’s/distributor’s 

products shall meet the requirements of the: 

- Salient characteristics (Sec. 5). 

- Analytical requirements: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 6). 

- Manufacturer’s/distributor’s assurance (Sec. 7). 

- Regulatory requirements (Sec. 8). 

- Quality assurance provisions: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 9). 

- Packaging requirements other than commercial: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 10). 

5. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS. 

5.1 Processing. The salt substitutes shall be processed in accordance with good manufacturing 

practices (21 CFR Part 110). 

5.2 Ingredients. All ingredients, including food grade bulking and anticaking agents, used in 

the preparation of the salt substitutes shall be of Food Chemicals Codex purity or U.S. 

Pharmacopeia-National Formulary quality. 

5.2.1 Active ingredient. The active ingredient in the salt substitutes shall be potassium 

chloride. Type II salt substitutes shall include L-lysine. 

5.2.2 Additional ingredients. The salt substitutes may contain flavor enhancers and anticaking 

agents such as, but not limited to monopotassium glutamate, glutamic acid hydrochloride, 

tricalcium phosphate, and calcium stearate. 

5.3 Finished Product. 

5.3.1 Color and flavor. The salt substitutes shall have a typical color and flavor. The salt 

substitutes shall season like salt to satisfy the need for salty flavor in foods. 

5.3.2 Consistency. The salt substitutes must sprinkle like salt. 

5.3.3 Shelf life. The salt substitutes shall have a minimum shelf life of 12 months. 

6. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS. 

6.1 Analytical requirement. The salt substitutes shall be dietetically free from sodium with a 

low sensitivity to moisture. The sodium content of the salt substitutes shall not exceed 0.03 

percent. 
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6.2 Product verification. When USDA verification of sodium content of the salt substitutes is 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the analytical testing for sodium content 

shall be performed on a composite sample. The composite sample shall be 227 g (8 oz) prepared 

from five randomly selected subsamples. Subsamples shall be a minimum of one container of 

salt substitute and shall contain the appropriate number of salt substitute containers necessary to 

yield a 227 g (8 oz) sample when composited. 

6.3 Analytical testing. When specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the 

analyses shall be made in accordance with the following methods from the Official Methods of 

Analysis of the AOAC International: 

 Test Method

 Sodium 963.13 or 976.25 

6.4 Test results. The test results for sodium content shall be reported to the nearest 0.001 

percent. Any result not conforming to the analytical requirements shall be cause for rejection of 

the lot. 

7. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S PRODUCT ASSURANCE. The manufacturer/ 

distributor shall certify that the salt substitutes provided shall meet the salient characteristics of

this CID, conform to their own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be 

the same salt substitutes offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the 

right to require proof of conformance. 

8. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered salt substitutes shall comply with all 

applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, 

packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the salt substitutes in the commercial 

marketplace. Delivered salt substitutes shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal 

Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and regulations 

promulgated thereunder. 

9. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser shall specify 9.2 or 9.3; purchaser 

may specify 9.1 with 9.1.1 or 9.1 with 9.1.2.

9.1 Manufacturer’s quality assurance. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order, the product manufacturer shall be required to provide evidence, by certificate, that the 

manufacturing plant has undertaken one of the following quality assurance measures within 12 

months prior to providing a bid, or no later than 10 business days from the date of awarding of 

the contract. Failure to provide this documentation within the proper time frame may result in 

the contract being terminated for cause. 
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9.1.1 Plant systems audit. A plant systems audit (PSA) shall be conducted by USDA, 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), or other third party auditing service and is required 

within 12 months prior to the date of the awarding of the contract. (An AMS PSA verifies the 

manufacturer’s capability to produce products in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance 

with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 110 - Current Good Manufacturing Practice in 

Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food; and have in place an internal quality 

assurance program. The AMS PSA determines the manufacturer’s ability to produce under this 

CID, if the products of interest are identified at the time of the PSA.) 

9.1.2 Plant survey. A plant survey shall be conducted by USDA, AMS, or other third party 

auditing service and is required within 12 months prior to the date of the awarding of the 

contract. (An AMS plant survey audit verifies that, at the time of the survey, the manufacturer 

produces products in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal 

Regulations Part 110 - Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or 

Holding Human Food.)

9.2 Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor will certify that the salt substitutes distributed meets 

or exceed the requirements of this CID. 

9.3 USDA certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order that 

product quality and acceptability or both be determined, the Processed Products Branch (PPB), 

Fruit and Vegetable Programs (FVP), AMS, USDA, shall be the certifying program. PPB 

inspectors shall certify the quality and acceptability of the salt substitutes in accordance with PPB 

procedures which include selecting random samples of the salt substitutes, evaluating the 

samples for conformance with the salient characteristics of this CID and other contractual 

requirements, and documenting the findings on official PPB score sheets and/or certificates. In 

addition, when required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, PPB inspectors will 

examine the salt substitutes for conformance to the United States Standards for Condition of 

Food Containers in effect on the date of the solicitation. 

10. PACKAGING. Preservation, packaging, packing, labeling, and case marking shall be 

commercial unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

11. USDA INSPECTION NOTES. When Section 9.3 is specified in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order, USDA certification shall include evaluation of the quality and 

condition of samples of salt substitutes, and compliance with requirements in the following 

areas:

- Salient characteristics (Sec. 5). 

 - Analytical requirements when specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order

(Sec. 6.1). When USDA analytical testing is specified, PPB inspection personnel shall 
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select samples and submit them to the USDA, Science and Technology Programs (S&TP) 

laboratory for analysis. 

 - Packaging requirements (Sec. 10 or as specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order). 

12. REFERENCE NOTES.

12.1 USDA certification contact. For USDA certification, contact the Branch Chief, PPB, 

FVP, AMS, USDA, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-

0247, telephone (202) 720-4693, Fax (202) 690-1527, or via E-mail: terry.bane@usda.gov. 

12.2 Analytical testing and technical information contact. For USDA technical information 

on analytical testing, contact the Branch Chief, Technical Service Branch, S&TP, AMS, 

USDA, STOP 0272, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0272, 

telephone (202) 690-0621., or via E-mail: shirleyj.wright@usda.gov. 

12.3 Sources of documents.

12.3.1 Source of information for nongovernmental document is as follows:

Copies of the Official Methods of Analysis of the AOAC International may be obtained from: 

AOAC International, 481 North Frederick Avenue, Suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, 

telephone (301) 924-7077 or on the Internet at: http://www.aoac.org. 

Copies of the Food Chemicals Codex and U.S. Pharmacopeia may be purchased from: United 

States Pharmacopeial Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852-1790, 

telephone (800) 227-8772 or (301) 881-0666, Fax (301) 816-8148. Internet address: 

www.usp.org. 

12.3.2 Sources of information for governmental documents are as follows: 

Applicable provisions of: the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act are contained in 16 CFR Parts 

500 to 503 and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are contained in 21 CFR Parts 1 to 

199. These documents may be purchased from: Superintendent of Documents, New Orders, 

P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Credit card (MasterCard or Visa) purchases 

may be made by calling the Superintendent of Documents on (202) 512-1803 or on the 

Internet at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html. 
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Copies of this CID, the United States Standards for Condition of Food Containers, and beneficial 

comments, recommendations, additions, deletions, clarifications, etc. and any data which may 

improve this CID are available from and/or provided to: Branch Chief, PPB, FVP, AMS, 

USDA, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0247, 

telephone (202) 720-9939, Fax (202) 690-0102, via E-mail: FQAStaff@usda.gov or on the 

Internet at: www.ams.usda.gov/fv/fvqual.htm. 

CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITIES:

DOJ - BOP 

 HHS NIH, IHS, FDA 

 USDA - FV 

 VA - OSS 

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

 USDA - FV 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.