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Iodine-free salt to be available by next year

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-13 20:09

The Ministry of Health has announced it will cut the iodine addition to salt next year, People Daily's website people.com.cn reported Thursday. Details about how much iodine will be deduced are expected to be revealed in the first half of next year.

The adjustment of iodine will reportedly be strictly carried out in accordance of a "scientific daily intake".

China used to be one of the world's most iodine-deficient countries but a compulsory national strategy made iodized salt dominate the salt market.

In recent years, iodized salt has been suspected to be a risk factor in developing thyroid cancer.

However, epidemiologists say the association of iodized salt with thyroid cancer is groundless and lacks evidence. In fact, theories that iodine can help treat thyroid cancer have been widely accepted, according to epidemiologists.

China has now suspended iodine additions to salt in most iodine-rich provinces like Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Shandong, Fujian and Henan.