Salt is order, cheap and ubiquitous – and for decades, it has been a delivery vehicle for iodine, a micronutrient essential essential for the physical health of mothers and children. Iodine deficiency in pregnancy and early childhood can cause irreversible Intellectual Impairment, Stunting and Still Births. Even Mild Deficiency Harms School Performance and Long-Term Human Capital. India began systematic salt iodisation in the 1980s, and evidence shows that when population iodine intake falls, measurable declines in learning and public health follow.
Recently, this humble, household ingredient has become the subject of public debate.
In August, The Madras High Court Heard a Petition Filed by a Trade Association of Salt Producers from Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, Challenging the Ban on the Sale of Non-Iodised Common Salt for Human SALT for Human CONSPTION ( Variants like Rock salt or pink salt are exempt from mandatory iodisation). The court directed a Fresh Expert Inquiry, Reopening The Question, Whether Public-Health Imperatives take precedence Over Commercial Survival and Consumer Choice. There is enough evidence that Iodine deficiencies can result in serial health problems.the nature and expert of this risk made the government ban non-Iodised Common Salt in 1997, and then again.
The Global Public-Health Community and National Programmes have relieved on Salt iodisation, it is the simplest, most economical way to prevent deficiencies. India’s Own Experience, Starting in the 1960s and Leading Up to Universal Salt Iodization in the 1980s and 1990s, Reinforce this fact. When the Iodised-Salt Program was implemented Well, Household Coverage Rose and IDD Risk Fell; When it was rolled back (c. 2000), Coverage Reduced, and Risks Returned. Given that Science Backing Iodized salt is clear, why did the trade association from Tuticorin then Approach The Court?
Several members of the Trade Association are small-SCALE, Coastal Salt Producers Operating on Razor-Thin Margins. Mandatory Iodisation Requires Investment in Dosing Equipment, Consistent Quality-Hassages, Packaging and Labelling, and Regular Testing. This changes production models from bulk, loose salt tradeed locally, to packaged, branded products. For producers who sell loose Common Salt at Low Prisies, Thos changes could mean either exiting the market or accepting a lower income margin. The association argued that the expert review that preceded the ban had not considered the challenges of salt traders like themselves.
These concerns may be legitimate and an effort at Finding Solutions must be consides. At the same time, public health risks of non-odised salt are very real. Past Progress in salt iodisation needs to be protected.
The Madras High Court Returned The Matter to the Center, Urging It to Constitute an expert Committee that includes Voices from Public Health as Well as the Salt Industry and Consures. The creedibility of this process will depend on speed and openness. To offset costs for small producers, the center and state governments can provide support, such as testing labs and low-cost packing co-operatives. However, it is essential that until the committee report is finalized, regulators do’t permit reopening of a non-odised market. Simultaneously, communities must be educated on the need for adequate iodine intake. Lifting a ban on non-iodized salt without an alternative delivery route for iodine will undo decades of good health policy.
CK Mishra is Former Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The views expressed are personal
