- According to the survey, conducted by Nutrition International in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Indian Coalition for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD), Tamil Nadu has the lowest consumption of iodised salt despite being the third biggest producer of salt in the country.
- It was a first-of-its-kind national survey conducted to measure the coverage of iodised salt. It covered a total of 21,406 households in 29 States and 7 Union Territories in India .
- Gujarat produces 71% of salt in the country, followed by Rajasthan at 17% and Tamil Nadu at 11%. The rest of the country accounts for a mere 1% of salt produced.
- As per the study, 76.3% of Indian households consumed adequately iodised salt, which is salt with at least 15 parts per million of iodine.
- The five worst performers consumers were Tamil Nadu (61.9%), Andhra Pradesh (63.9%), Rajasthan (65.5%), Odisha (65.8%) and Jharkhand (68.8%).
- The five best performers consumers were Jammu-Kashmir (99.8%), Nagaland (99.7%), Manipur (99.5%), Mizoram (99.2%) and Meghalaya (98.4%).
Iodine is vital
- Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient for optimal mental and physical development of human beings.
- Deficiency of iodine results in a range of disabilities and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism, abortion, still births, mental retardation and psychomotor defects.
- Children born in iodine deficient areas may have up to 13.5 IQ points less than those born in iodine sufficient areas.
Fortification of Salt
- India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory for direct human consumption in 1992.
- However, this was relaxed in 2000 and then reimposed in 2005.
- In 2011, the Supreme Court, too, mandated universal iodisation for the control of iodine deficiencies.
