Nation · Lead Story · 2026-10-09
FDA finalizes rule allowing salt substitutes in standardized foods
Manufacturers may use qualifying alternatives in 139 food standards that previously specified salt without permitting substitutes.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule allowing salt substitutes in foods governed by federal standards of identity that require or permit salt.
Standards of identity define ingredients and, in some cases, production methods for named foods. FDA says 139 standards previously allowed or required salt but did not provide the same flexibility for substitutes.
The change gives manufacturers an additional way to formulate lower-sodium versions while continuing to meet the applicable food standard. It permits the option but does not require companies to reformulate products.
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Business · 2026-10-09
USDA reports $28 million in rural self-help housing grants
The program funds technical assistance for lower-income households that help build or rehabilitate their own homes.
The Department of Agriculture reported obligating $28 million in fiscal 2026 through its Mutual Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance Grants program.
USDA says it redirected $7 million from underperforming oversight contracts to direct grant awards. Section 523 grantees organize and supervise groups of eligible households as participants work on construction or rehabilitation.
Read articleEnvironment · 2026-10-09
EPA details $90 million portfolio for Chesapeake Bay restoration
The agency says grants and matching funds cover 83 projects aimed at reducing nutrient and sediment pollution across the watershed.
The Environmental Protection Agency published a review of more than $90 million in grants and matching funds associated with 83 Chesapeake Bay watershed projects.
The portfolio uses Small Watershed Implementation and Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants. EPA highlighted a living shoreline at Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield, Virginia, as one example of restoration and coastal-resilience work.
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