{"topic_id":"AAFCO_Ch6_sodium_chloride","category":"aafco","context":"---\ntopic_id: \"AAFCO_Ch6_sodium_chloride\"\ncategory: \"aafco\"\ntitle: \"AAFCO Ch6 sodium chloride\"\nlang: en\nsource_document: \"AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"AAFCO wp-content/uploads PDF\"\n  title: \"AAFCO Ch6 sodium chloride\"\n  url: \"\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-21\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"official source\"\n  needs_review: true\nauthority_tier: T1\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T1:std-body\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\ntokens_estimated: 271\n---\nAAFCO Ch6 definition 57.31 Salt is an acceptable source of sodium chloride; it must be true to name and contain not less than 95% sodium chloride (Proposed 1973, Adopted 1975); a related definition, 57.13 Iodized Salt, requires not less than 0.007% uniformly distributed iodine. Salt supplies sodium (essential for fluid balance, nerve transmission and nutrient absorption) and chloride (a component of gastric hydrochloric acid), and it acts as a palatability enhancer — dogs and cats have sodium taste response. The AAFCO definition sets no inclusion-rate or tolerance limits; usage levels in complete pet food are formulation choices, bounded on the nutrient side by the AAFCO profile minimums for sodium and chloride (dogs: Na 0.3% DM growth / 0.08% DM adult; Cl 0.45% / 0.12% DM) and by platability and tolerance considerations at the high end. Excessive salt intake increases thirst and urination, and very high intakes can cause sodium toxicosis; reduced-sodium formulas often substitute part of the salt with potassium chloride to maintain electrolyte balance and palatability.\n","sources":["AAFCO wp-content/uploads PDF — AAFCO Ch6 sodium chloride (retrieved 2026-07-21)"],"source":{"authority":"AAFCO wp-content/uploads PDF","title":"AAFCO Ch6 sodium chloride","url":"https://www.aafco.org/","retrieved":"2026-07-21","ref":"","doc_type":"official source","source_document":"AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations","verification_file":""},"source_document":"AAFCO Model Pet Food Regulations","source_file":"","trust":{"authority_tier":"T1","fidelity":"verbatim","license":null,"display_grade":"A"},"tokens_estimated":145,"generated_at":"2026-07-16","tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons.","structured_data":{"note":"The nutrient values in this topic are also available as structured data — faster and exact, no text parsing needed.","compare":"/api/v1/cross_compare?standards=AAFCO,FEDIAF,KFDA&species=dog&lifestage=adult&nutrient=protein&basis=DM","coverage":"Standards: AAFCO (year>=2014), FEDIAF (year>=2025), EU PARNUT (year>=2020), KFDA/NIAS Korea (year>=2024). species: dog|cat. lifestage: adult|GR (growth/puppy/kitten map to growth-reproduction). basis: DM|cal.","single":"/api/v1/nutrient?standard=AAFCO&year=2024&species=dog&lifestage=adult&nutrient=protein&basis=DM","batch":"/api/v1/batch_nutrient?standard=AAFCO&year=2024&species=dog&lifestage=adult&nutrients=protein,fat,calcium,phosphorus&basis=DM"}}