Ministry of Health: Vietnam has not recorded any cases of iodine excess.

DNVN - The Ministry of Health confirmed that there are no concerns related to the public's use of iodized salt and that Vietnam has not recorded any cases of iodine excess.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam is currently facing a serious iodine deficiency nationwide, especially in six ecological regions, including the coastal provinces of the Central Coast. Iodine deficiency leads to many consequences for public health, especially goiter and thyroid problems.

In 1994, a survey showed that 94% of the Vietnamese population lived in iodine-deficient areas, with the rate of goiter among children aged 8-12 reaching 22.4% (while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended less than 5%). In response to this situation, the Government issued Decision No. 481/TTg in 1994, requiring the entire population to use iodized salt, followed by Decree No. 19/1999/ND-CP in 1999, requiring that salt used in food must be iodized salt.

Thanks to this policy, by 2005, Vietnam had successfully eliminated iodine deficiency, with iodized salt coverage reaching over 90% and goiter rates in children falling below 5%. However, in 2005, the Government issued Decree No. 163/2005/ND-CP replacing Decree 19, changing the use of iodized salt from mandatory to voluntary. This led to a decrease in the use of iodized salt, causing iodine deficiency to return and spread.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam is currently facing a serious iodine deficiency nationwide.

Lax regulations have led to a decrease in the median urinary iodine level in the community to 84 mcg/l in 2014, lower than the WHO recommendation (100-199 mcg/l). The rate of goiter in children increased to 8.3% in 2014, twice as high as the WHO recommendation. Areas with severe iodine deficiency include mountainous areas, plains and especially the coastal areas of the Central Coast.

In response to this situation, the Government issued Decree No. 09/2016/ND-CP, requiring that salt used for direct consumption and food processing must be fortified with iodine. Thanks to this policy, in 2018, the national median urinary iodine level increased to 97 mcg/l, but still did not reach the safe level recommended by WHO.

According to the report of the Central Endocrinology Hospital and the Institute of Nutrition, Vietnam has not recorded any cases of patients with excess iodine. Up to now, there has been no medical literature mentioning the program of using iodized salt for the whole population (from 1994 to present) leading to consequences of thyroid disease.

According to the Law on Food Safety, food producers are responsible for complying with Government regulations on fortifying micronutrients in food to protect public health. Decree No. 09/2016/ND-CP reaffirms the need to fortify table salt and salt used in food processing with iodine.

Experts from WHO and the Global Network for the Prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders have emphasized that food iodine fortification is an effective public health measure that not only helps prevent iodine deficiency but also does not pose risks of toxicity or over-supplementation. In ASEAN, most countries have adopted a mandatory policy of fortifying salt with iodine, with significant results.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that there is no scientific evidence that the use of iodized salt has a negative impact on consumers’ health. Concerns from businesses about the color and taste of iodized salt have been received by the Ministry of Health, but there is no solid evidence from businesses to prove the negative impact of iodized salt on consumers’ health.

At the meeting with businesses on October 30, the leaders of the Ministry of Health expressed their willingness to coordinate with businesses to conduct field research at production facilities that use iodized salt in food processing to clarify the impact of iodized salt on the businesses' products. In case scientific evidence shows that the use of iodized salt in food changes the color, taste or has a negative impact on consumers' health, the Government will be asked to exclude these products in Decree 09.

To improve iodine deficiency, the Ministry of Health has proposed mandatory regulations on the use of iodized salt in food processing, while strengthening communication on the importance of iodine for health. Authorities need to closely monitor compliance with regulations on iodine supplementation, and encourage people to use iodized salt in their daily meals.

Minh Thu

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/tin-tuc/y-te/bo-y-te-viet-nam-chua-ghi-nhan-truong-hop-nao-thua-i-ot/20241107035523585