Salt & Human Health: Iodine Deficiency

The federal government has a large program to improve nutriiton for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the sensitive target group for the international campaign to improve iodine nutrition. Noting that U.S. iodine intakes for this group have declined over the past 35 years, Morton Satin, director of technical and regulatory affairs for the Salt Institute, has called upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture to include iodized salt in its "WIC Food Packages." He noted that eliminating Iodine Deficiency Disorders was identified as a priority concern of the UN's 1990 World Summit for Children and that there is expert consensus that iodizing salt is the preferred public health nutrition strategy. USDA, he added, should promote that pregnant women choose iodized salt in preparing foods.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 10:58 AM | Permalink

Australia and New Zealand have declining iodine sufficiency. To halt the slide, regulators propose to require cereal food manufacturers to use iodized salt. The Salt Institute endorsed the principle of sole reliance on iodized salt as the carrier for supplemental iodine, but, after earlier calling for Universal Salt Iodization, endorsed on August 25th, the regulators' plan as "a rational, measured response" and the "first step" in addressing the challenge of proper iodine nutrition. "We believe the proposal would be strengthened by including a strong statement that the government is committed to protecting and enhancing the mental development of the next generation through the iodization of salt," wrote Salt Institute president Richard L. Hanneman. He noted that declining iodine nutrition is also occurring in the U.S. and Canada.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 01:32 PM | Permalink