People should be careful not to fall into the iodine boycott trap.

The argument lacks scientific basis and evidence, causing public confusion, leading to the consequence that many people refuse to use iodized salt, causing great concern about disorders caused by iodine deficiency.

Regarding this issue, the health sector affirms that there is no scientific evidence that the use of iodine-fortified salt affects health. On the contrary, iodine deficiency leads to goiter, hypothyroidism, fatigue, muscle weakness and weight gain. Health experts recommend that people should be careful not to fall into the trap of “anti-iodine” businesses.

Vietnam is among the top 26 countries with iodine deficiency.

In response to the opinion that the regulation of the entire population using iodized salt in Vietnam will lead to the risk of hyperthyroidism or other diseases for people with excess iodine, the Ministry of Health affirmed that this is a misconception. Such arguments lack scientific basis and evidence, and have been put forward by some individuals and businesses in recent times, causing public confusion and negatively affecting the efforts of the health sector in preventing and combating iodine deficiency disorders.

Iodine deficiency is making a comeback in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Health affirms that there is no concern regarding the public use of iodized salt, including iodized salt used in households and in food processing. In Vietnam, there has never been a case of people having excess iodine.

According to the report of the Global Network for the Prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, Vietnam is among the remaining 26 countries in the world that are iodine deficient. Only 27% of households use iodized salt that meets the standards; 3 times lower than the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO). While the WHO recommendation is over 90%. With this result, it can be affirmed that the Vietnamese population has not achieved the recommended daily iodine intake.

This is the basis for the draft amendment to Decree No. 09/2016/ND-CP to not change Clause 1, Article 6; it is necessary to continue to implement that salt used for direct consumption and used in food processing must be fortified with iodine.

There is no scientific evidence to confirm that excess iodine causes thyroid cancer.

Reports from the Central Endocrinology Hospital and the National Institute of Nutrition show that currently Vietnam has not recorded any patients with excess iodine.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Tuyet Mai - Deputy Director of the Institute of Nutrition, the results of the 2019-2020 general nutrition survey showed that, in all groups of subjects, the median urinary iodine level was lower than recommended. The percentage of people with urinary iodine concentration exceeding the threshold of 300ppm was 0% (threshold > 300ppm is the threshold of high urinary iodine). To date, there has been no medical literature mentioning the program of using iodized salt for the whole population (from 1994 to present) leading to consequences for thyroid disease.

Patients treated at the Central Endocrinology Hospital.

According to the Ministry of Health, iodine deficiency itself causes thyroid diseases which are also classified as consequences of iodine deficiency, this is the WHO's classification.

According to WHO, in areas with severe iodine deficiency, the incidence of hyperthyroidism in autoimmune thyroid nodules increases. After 5-10 years of regular iodine supplementation, the incidence of hyperthyroidism will decrease, corresponding to areas without iodine deficiency.

Hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disease, medical treatment with synthetic antithyroid drugs is the main treatment. If medical treatment fails or immune factors remain high after a long period of medical treatment, surgery or radiation therapy should be chosen.

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, and is on the rise globally. According to GLOBOCAN (global cancer database) 2020 data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), thyroid cancer ranks 11th in the number of new cancer cases, accounting for 3% of all new cases of all cancers.

In Vietnam, according to GLOBOCAN data in 2020, similar to the situation in the world, thyroid cancer ranks 10th in the number of new cases, 6th in women in the rate of new cases among all types of cancer, 4 times higher than in men.

According to the Ministry of Health, the cause of this cancer is increasing due to the development of technology and people's awareness of early detection. There is no scientific document confirming that excess iodine causes thyroid cancer.

In response to some opinions that iodine-fortified foods affect product quality and increase thyroid cancer, the Ministry of Health said that in the past 8 years, health agencies have not received scientific evidence related to the use of iodine-fortified salt causing changes in product color, taste or negative effects on consumers' health.

Therefore, WHO, UNICEF, Global Iodine Network, HealthBridge Canada, the Ministry of Health and a number of health protection experts strongly recommend that the Government maintain the mandatory regulations on micronutrient fortification of food in Decree No. 09/2016/ND-CP.

Previously, the Ministry of Health's leaders expressed their willingness to coordinate with businesses to conduct field research at production facilities that use iodized salt in food processing to clarify the effects 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 negative effects on consumers' health, the Government will be asked to exclude these products in the Decree.

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