Manufacture, use of quality iodized salt pushed in CV

CEBU, Philippines - Two government agencies are pushing for the manufacture, distribution and consumption of quality iodized salt across Region 7 as one way of bolstering the fight against Iodine Deficiency Disorder.

The Regional Bantay Asin Task Force-7 headed by the Food and Drug Administration and assisted by the National Nutrition Council-7 is calling on the public to consume only iodized salt, which is approved by government. This is not only to ensure the health benefit but also that manufacturers comply with requirements set by government.

The task force, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of Republic Act 8172 or the ASIN Law, has also encouraged constant monitoring on the part of manufacturers.

In a statement, NNC-7 says iodine, being an essential mineral in the body, plays a vital role in health especially for a much healthier thyroid gland, metabolism, and brain.

NNC-7 notes the incidents of Iodine Deficiency Disorder affecting the whole Region 7, particularly among pregnant and lactating women, as shown by the 2011 Updating Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

The survey indicates high consumption of iodized salt in the region with 49.5 percent and an average of 94.6 percent of household salt testing positive of potassium iodate, which is higher than the national percentage of 80.1 percent.

Despite these numbers, however, it was found out that the pre-sence of potassium iodate in the salts tested using a salt testing solution is only about one fourth of the supply of salt. This reportedly suggests that the problem is on the availability of salt that is iodized adequately.

Iodine can be found in seafood and iodized salt but the latter is considered the cheapest and best means of intervention against IDD because it is used in cooking and other means of processing food.  —JMO (FREEMAN)