BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, June 22 (PIA) -- Health Usec. Dr. Enrique Tayag urged the public to patronize only iodized salt products that contain the government’s quality seal that guarantees adequate mixture of iodine dose.
In a recent soft launching on the ‘Saktong Iodine sa Asin’ in Cebu City, Tayag together with Asec. Maria-Bernardita Flores of the National Nutrition Council and Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, acting director general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) led the unveiling of the new banner of the quality seal.
“Please patronize only salt products with the banner seal so that you are assured of the adequate mixture of iodine in the salt,” said Tayag but was quick to add “To salt lovers, be careful with high blood pressure.”
The seal is a five-sided shape known as pentagon with the words ‘Fortified Saktong Iodine sa Asin’ and the ‘DOH’ and ‘FDA’ as well as what appears to be a smiling yellow-colored sun.
Tayag said Cebu is the first venue for the soft launching as three of the country’s biggest salt manufacturers are either based or have big warehouses here. These salt manufacturers were Artemis Salt Corp., Arwin International Marketing, Inc. and Salinas Foods, Incorporated which were also given recognition during the launch for their support to the government’s salt iodization program.
A 2008 National Nutrition Survey showed 81.1 percent of households used iodized salt but only 25 percent of the households used adequate iodized salt as not all salt producers adequately iodized their salt.
According to the FDA, salt should contain 30-70 parts per million of iodine to attain the global standard of 15 parts per million.
In Central Visayas, a 2011 survey released by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology revealed that 94.6% of households test positive to potassium iodate higher than the national average of 80.1 percent.
In the same FNRI survey, an estimated 49.5 percent utilization of iodized salt among households was recorded with Siquijor having the lowest consumption at 42.3 percent followed by Negros Oriental at 45.7 percent. Third was Cebu with 49.1 percent while Bohol was the highest at 55 percent.
The same survey also showed that Central Visayas registered 74.4 percent awareness level of iodized salt among households, lower than the national average at 79 percent. Awareness of households among provinces in the region was pegged from 67 percent to 75 percent.
The Philippine Government through the DOH has identified salt iodization as the cheapest method and best intervention in addressing iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). Iodine deficiency can lead to mental retardation and poor physical development while goiter is the most common symptom of poor iodine level. (mbcn/FCR/PIA7)