Iodised Salt

Less sodium, more iodine, and other things brands claim

14 Brands Tested

Iodised salt is common edible salt to which a very small quantity of an iodine compound has been added. Iodised salt is used to prevent a health problem now known as iodine deficiency disorder (IDD). Iodine is a natural element that is essential to human life. Some of the most vital functions of the human body – such as proper development of brain and body and maintenance of body temperature – depend upon a steady supply of iodine. With regard to India, regulations require the iodine content to be not less than a certain amount in food-grade iodised salt. The techniques for iodisation are simple and well established. The added iodine does not affect the appearance or taste of salt, which happens to be one of the oldest, most ubiquitous food seasonings in the world. However, as the results of Consumer Voice’s tests on 14 brands of iodised salt show, adherence to the national standards on quality and acceptability parameters is not uniform. As is mostly the case, the tests threw up mixed results. For instance, while two ISI-marked brands failed to meet the requirement for moisture, two proprietary brands did not match up to their claims for less sodium. The detailed findings and analysis follow.