The New Nation - Internet Edition

A SECTION of salt producers are deceiving consumers by not adding iodine to what they sell as "iodised salt." The law makes it mandatory to enrich salt with iodine content ranging to some 40-50 parts per million (ppm). To make the iodisation programme a success, most of the salt-crushing factories have been provided with iodisation equipment. UNICEF supplies potassium iodate, an iodising agent, free of cost. The cost of salt iodisation is insignificant. But only four percent of the crushers, according to a survey, were found to add adequate iodine. Forty-six percent of salt producing plants was confirmed using 30 ppm of iodine, which is well below the prescribed level. Others are using even less.

According to a source, more than 30 million people in Bangladesh have different forms of iodine deficiency disorder (IDD); but the problems are more pronounced among adults. Iodine deficiency is considered the most common preventable cause of mental disorder. A large proportion of women of reproductive age having severe iodine deficiency suffers from pregnancy-related problems including abortion and still birth. It may cause brain damage in infants and less chances of survival for neonates. Manifestations of IDD in children include goitre, loss of energy, impaired school performance, and retarded physical growth. Among the adults, it may lead to goitre and impaired mental functions.

IDD is a severe health hazard for the country and poses a serious threat to public health. Use of inadequate iodine in salt is a crime because its adverse impacts on public health are well known, and deserves to be seriously dealt with. The Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and other institutions were assigned the task of regularly monitoring the quality of salt. The cause of their failure to do this needs to be identified to streamline monitoring.