National-level prevalence survey required to estimate iodine content in all Indian foods, says ICMR official

The growing prevalence of hypertension cases in India has drawn the attention of experts worldwide

The 30th National Coalition for Sustained Optimal Iodine Intake (NCSOII) was recently hosted by the Association for Indian Coalition for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD).

Speaking on the estimation of iodine content in Indian foods, Dr A Laxmaiah, Scientist G & Head, Public Health Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said, “There is a need for a national-level prevalence survey to estimate iodine content in all Indian foods in all the states.”

Speaking at the coalition, Dr Chandrakant S Pandav, President, ICCIDD, hailed the Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) programme in India as the most successful public health story. He revealed that India has the world’s best possible information on all aspects related to IDD in terms of age, gender, urinary iodine and iodine content by titration.

Speaking on the current status of the National Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Programme (NIDDCP) and the success of USI, Dr Pradeep Saxena, Sr Chief Medical Officer (SAG), Nutrition and IDD Cell, Directorate General of Health Services (Dte.GHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) threw light on the “Kangra Valley Study” which led to the launch of the National Goitre Control Programme (NGCP) to bring down the prevalence of IDDs.

He said, “The salt produced in India in 2019-20 and 2020-21 is not much affected by the pandemic and is adequate to meet the needs of the country.”

Stating the example of Tamil Nadu, which lagged in the USI goals, Dr Saxena also said, “Taking the state government on board for implementation of NIDDCP has improved the situation.”

On behalf of the Salt Commissioners’ Office (SCO), Mohita, Assistant Salt Commissioner, Jaipur, and Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), spoke about the constraints faced by the SCO and raised concerns regarding the impending decision of the Government of India to shut down the salt commissioner’s office and its far-reaching implications on achieving the goal of 100 per cent coverage of USI.

Dr Saxena and Dr Pandav assured to take up this issue with the Department of Salt, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Dr Werner Shultink, Executive Director, Iodine Global Network (IGN) said that the USI programme of India is successful, and it is important for the whole world as India is one of the largest salt exporters.

“The USI framework stays in place and continues to be implemented,” he emphasised.

Dr Rajan Shankar, Senior Adviser, Tata Trusts, spoke on issues linked to food and nutrition security. He said, “The job is not done yet and there is a need to continue the programme to achieve 100 per cent coverage of adequately iodised salt. Keeping in mind the modern dietary patterns of average Indian households, there is a need to make sure the processed food industry also uses iodised salt.”

The growing prevalence of hypertension cases in India has drawn the attention of experts worldwide.

Throwing light on the salt reduction strategies and hypertension, Dr Bhawna Sharma, Country Lead, Resolve to Save Lives, said, “Reducing sodium intake through salt can reduce the chances of hypertension by 30 per cent. An average Indian adult consumes about 11 grams of salt per day whereas WHO recommends five grams per day. There is a need for the implementation of low sodium salt interventions at the population scale that include dietary habits, taste, functionality, availability, cost and safety.”