Iodised salt is safe

Abstract

Iodine deficiency disorders are prevalent in all the States and Union Territories in India. Under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders control programme, the Government of India has adopted a strategy to iodisation of all edible salt in the country which is a long term and sustainable preventive solution to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders. The benefits to be derived from universal salt iodisation are more to the population. Iodised salt is safe and does not cause any side effect.

PIP: In India, about 167 million people are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). 54 million have a goiter, 2.2 million have cretinism, and 6.6 million have mild neurological disorders. Iodization of all edible salt in India is expected to be achieved by 1996. A safe daily intake of iodine is between 50 mcg and 1000 mcg. Yet, in India, daily iodine intake may be as low as 100-160 mcg/day compared to 3000 mcg/day in Japan. Since iodine is concentrated in the top soil and the environment continues to be degraded, supplementary dietary iodine is needed. In areas endemic to goiter, the iodine content of drinking water is 3-16 mcg/l, while it is 5-64 mcg/l in nonendemic areas. Regardless of food type, iodine content was higher in nonendemic areas than in areas endemic to goiter (e.g., lentils: 13 vs. 4 mcg/1000g). Iodine is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed rapidly throughout the body. The thyroid takes up about 30% of the iodine entering the body for hormone synthesis. The kidneys excrete the rest. The iodine content of regional diets in India ranges from 170-300 mcg/day. The loss of iodine in cooking practices ranges from 30-70%. The National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) aims to eliminate IDD by the year 2000. The Food Adulteration Act states that iodized salt at the manufacturing level should have no less than 30 ppm and at the consumer level no less than 15 ppm. One of the greatest obstacles to NICCDP is poor iodine stability. Appropriate technologies now produce iodized salt with a long shelf life in some factories in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. An important component of NIDDCP is monitoring of iodized salt. Susceptible people and people with pre-existing abnormalities of the thyroid gland may have adverse effects of excess iodine intake. It appears that iodine rarely causes an allergic reaction. The lethal dose low (LDLO) for potassium iodate may be 531 mg/kg of body weight. Thus, 32 g is the LDLO for an Indian of average body weight of 60 kg. A review of case reports show that iodine intake of less than 1000 mcg/day is safe for most people.