THE government has taken a move to amend the Iodine Deficiency Disease Prevention Act (IDDP)-1989 to make the use of iodised salt mandatory in processed food and animal feed. The draft has a proposed amendment to fight back some health hazards such as mental retardation in children and enlarged thyroid glands (goitre) and thyroid hormones which basically develop from iodine deficiency. Besides, a deficiency of iodine causes cretinism and increased neonatal and infant mortality. Thus we see that mandatory use of iodine in human food and animal feed is most important to protecting public health, especially when the fast food culture is gradually dominating urban life.
The news report in a national English daily on Tuesday said the draft law has proposed to make the use of iodised salt mandatory and called for severe punishment to defaulters, including financial penalty for illegal production and sales of non-iodised edible salt. The amendments have also stipulated the maintenance of certain levels of iodine salt in human food which must be 45-50 parts per million (ppm) at production level and not less than 20 ppm at sales. Defaulters must face a minimum fine of Taka 5,000 or face a jail sentence of three years. We hold the view that any success in ensuring proper prevalence of iodised salt in food will depend, among others, on strong vigilance and honest implantation of the law. We also suggest effective coordination among government agencies and the industry to make the move a success.
As per WHO rating, a daily minimum of 90 mcg of iodine is required for an infant up to five years, 120 mcg for 6 to 12 years, 150 mcg for children at 12 years and above and 250 mcg for mothers during their pregnancy and lactation stages. We suggest the use of an effective public awareness campaign to educate the people about the use of iodised salt and the consequences that may develop due to not taking adequate amounts of iodine on a daily basis.
Health surveys shows the current goitre rate in Bangladesh is 47.1 percent and cretinism is 0.5 while the prevalence of biochemical iodine deficiency stands at 69 percent of the total population. All ecological zones – plains, hilly areas, and flood prone areas – have the high rates of iodine deficiency syndrome to make it a cause of alarm to the nation.
Iodine is consumed through foods such as fish, seafood, kelp, drinking water and vegetables. Cow’s milk and beef is also a source of iodine is available in cattle feed. So, the use of iodised salt in animal feed is also a right step to provide enough iodine to human beings. Moreover, as prepared food culture is getting popular in the country, we suggest that the use of iodine or iodised salt in processed foods should be made more popular. We also suggest that the proposed amendments will properly deal with all other aspects of iodised salt related to human health and animal feed which in turn contributes to provide iodine to the human body.
