Awareness Meeting On Iodised Salt

The Assam Tribune, 29 Sep 2014

Dr DC Saikia explained that deficiency of iodine in health leads to goiter, stillbirth and miscarriage, neonatal and juvenile thyroid deficiency, dwarfism, brain damage, intellectual impairment, deaf mutisim, spastic weakness, mental retardation, etc., which are permanent and irreversible but these can be prevented by consuming iodised salt daily, which is the most effective and inexpensive mode to prevent iodine deficiency disorder. 

'To control IDD, the Government of India launched the National Iodine Deficiency Disorder control programme in 1962 and the Health and Family Welfare department is the nodal agency for policy making in this regard. The Salt Commissioner's Office under the Ministry of Industry is responsible for licensing, production and distribution of iodised salt to States,' Dr Saikia added. He said that the health authority can notify banning the entry and sale of non-iodised salt under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The District Health authority should go for quality testing at the spot to ensure the quality of iodised salt at the consumption level where iodization level could be fixed at a minimum of 15 parts per million (ppm) at the consumer level and 30 ppm at the production level. Dr DC Saikia in his speech also emphasised that salt can be iodised with potassium iodide salt or potassium iodate. 

However, potassium iodate is better, as it is very stable and it's melting point is 530'C and this salt is called iodated salt. 'Mainstreaming of IDD control in policy making, devising State specific action plans to control IDD, strict implementation of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, addressing inequities in iodised salt coverage (rural-urban, socio-economic), providing iodised salt in Public Distribution System, strengthening monitoring and evaluation of IDD programme and ensuring sustainability of IDD control activities are essential to achieve sustainable elimination of IDD in India. 

IDD control programme in India is one of the success stories of public health in the country. The current 91 per cent household level coverage of iodised salt in India, of which 71 per cent is adequately iodised salt, is a big achievement,' he added. Dr Pranati Saikia spoke about the importance of iodised salt and Prasanta Das, Food Safety Officer demonstrated the quality testing of iodised salt at the meeting grams,' he said.