Can non-fortified marine salt cover human needs for iodine?

Abstract

Iodine deficiency remains a worldwide problem with two billion individuals having insufficient iodine intake. Universal salt iodisation was declared by UNICEF and WHO as a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable way to tackle iodine deficiency. In Portugal, the few studies available unravel an iodine status below the WHO guidelines for pregnant women and school-aged children. In the present study, the iodine levels of household salt consumed in Portugal was assessed, for the first time. Non-iodised (median 14 ppm) and fortified (median 48 ppm) marine salt samples showed iodine levels lower than the minimum and above the maximum threshold recommended by non-mandatory Portuguese law and WHO recommendations, respectively. This study calls attention to the fact that marine salt per se, in spite of containing a natural high amount of iodine, requires further fortification in order to be used as an effective tool to deal with iodine insufficiency.

The association of parents’ behaviors related to salt with 24 h urinary sodium excretion of their children: A Spanish cross-sectional study

“…As indicated by the WHO in the guide SHAKE designed to help to implement strategies to reduce salt consumption in populations [63], it is important to implement integrated education and communication messages with other public strategies to raise public awareness of health risks and sources of salt in the diet to change behaviors. For parents, strategies could be implemented to improve their salt-related behaviors, including label checking, the use of iodized salt instead of regular salt/non-fortified salt [64], the promotion of a decrease in the use of table salt, and the improvement in the choice of foods with lower salt content. Future studies have an opportunity to determine the attitudes and parents' knowledge or motivation to change salt behaviors and then launch salt campaigns that aim to change salt-related behaviors in schoolchildren and parents.…”

Chip-Based Spectrofluorimetric Determination of Iodine in a Multi-Syringe Flow Platform with and without In-Line Digestion—Application to Salt, Pharmaceuticals, and Algae Samples

“…To validate the method, several salt samples were analysed using a potentiometric method. For iodide determination, an anion selective electrode (iodide electrode (HI 4111, Hanna Instruments, Woonsocket, RI, USA)) was used and, for iodate determination, an iodometric titration method was chosen [8].…”

“…In the human diet, main sources of iodide are marine foodstuffs-fish, shellfish, algae, and sea salt [8]. Salt iodization programmes have been implemented in more than 120 countries around the world [9,10].…”

“…In Portugal and Spain, marine salt, by itself, contains a naturally high amount of iodine. Even though there is a high quantity of iodine in marine salt, the use of supplements is still required as an effective alternative to combat iodine insufficiency [8].…”

“…The potentiometric method is a reference method for iodide determination [15,18]. Another method of choice is the titration method, which is an accurate, easy to operate, and low-cost method that can be used for iodide determination in iodised salt samples [8,19]. There are several other analytical methods for iodine quantification, including semiquantitative methods, the microplate method, automated methods, and technologically advanced methods, such as the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method [15].…”