Inadequate iodine in salt worrying — FDA
A study by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and partners has revealed that 70 per cent of salt produced by artisanal salt producers does not contain iodine, although mandatory.
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Also, 100 per cent of rock salt samples from major markets in Accra were not iodised, while 50 per cent of packaged salt did not have the right amount of iodine.
This was contained in the outcome of the survey conducted in December 2022 by the authority.
The Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Dr Mimi Delese Darko, disclosed this when the authority and its partners re-launched the Ghana Universal Salt Iodisation programme that mandates salt producers to fortify their products with the right amount of iodine.
It was first launched in 1994 to address the growing burden of iodine deficiency disorders in the country.
In attendance were development partners, the Ghana Health Service, artisanal salt producers and market women among others who were sensitised to the need to consume iodised salt and for producers to abide by the law.
Funding
Dr Darko said the initial programme, which was enacted under the FDA Act 523 in 1996, slowed down partly due to its reliance on external funding, especially for crucial aspects such as the acquisition of test kits.
“This underscores the importance and urgent need for funding for the success of the programme. In the interim, the FDA has purchased some test kits and is preparing to distribute these to stakeholders,” she said.
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Dr Darko said the programme focused on the promotion of iodised salt consumption to eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs) such as mental retardation in childhood, miscarriages, brain damage, stillbirths, goitre, congenital defects, delayed physical development, infant mortality and decreased cognitive capacity.
She said the country had not been able to reach the 90 per cent household coverage of the correct iodised salt consumption target by the World Health Organisation.
The chief executive further said iodine was an essential nutrient required by the body to produce thyroid hormones which controlled metabolism and other bodily functions.
It is also required in pregnancy and infancy for proper bone formation and brain development.
She, therefore, said the FDA and partners would ensure strict enforcement of the law which would be preceded by building the capacity of various stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities within the production, storage and marketing value chain.
Commitment
In a speech read on his behalf, the out-going Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu said, “Our collective commitment to universal salt iodisation is a testament to our unwavering dedication to break the cycle of preventable suffering caused by iodine deficiency diseases”.
The WHO Country Representative, Prof. Francis Kasolo, in a speech read on his behalf, said iodine deficiency was a major threat to the health and development of people, particularly preschool children and pregnant women.
“Since 1994, WHO and UNICEF have recommended universal salt iodisation as a safe cost-effective and sustainable strategy to ensure sufficient intake of iodine by all,” he said.
Writer’s email: doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh