NuTek Food Science—the company that filed a 2016 citizen petition to obtain FDA permission to label potassium chloride as “potassium salt”—has withdrawn its citizen petition.  The company made its decision based on FDA’s recent issuance of draft guidance authorizing the term “potassium chloride salt” as an alternative name for “potassium chloride” on food labels.

NuTek’s petition had requested that FDA permit “potassium salt” as a common or usual name for potassium chloride because consumers have negative associations with the word “chloride.”  In a press release, NuTek’s Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Boor, stated, “Although the FDA’s initial draft guidance fails to address the problematic use of the word ‘chloride,’ we are confident that the food industry and the health community can make a compelling argument for its removal during the 60-day comment period.”

NuTek’s citizen petition received support from members of the food industry and seems to have started a dialogue in other countries, such as Canada, that also may consider allowing potassium chloride to be declared as “potassium salt” on food labels.