Vietnam: One of 19 countries with insufficient iodine intake

Friday, 15/12/2017 23:03
The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in Vietnam on December 14th co-organized a workshop on strengthening the implementation of Decree 09/2016/ND-CP on food fortification.

Participants at the workshop (Photo: H.H)

The Ministry of Health consulted with the Government to issue Decree 09/2016/ND-CP on January 28th, 2016 to strengthen iodine, iron, zinc and vitamin A as compulsory elements that need to be included in Vietnamese food. The Decree came into force on March 15th, 2016 to prevent and reduce iodine deficiency in community, protecting the people’s health.

According to Ms. Karen Codling, Regional Coordinator for Iodine Global Network, fortification of salt with iodine is recommended as the most effective way to prevent iodine deficiency.  

She also showed the deficiency would causes: Goitre - swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck; irreversible brain damage in the fetus and infant, retarded psychomotor development in children, which impede children’s learning ability, affect reproductive functions, most common cause of preventable impaired cognitive development.

A research on iodine status of countries in 2017, based on median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) of school age children, showed that Vietnam is one of the 19 countries with insufficient iodine intake.

Ms. Karen Codling also said 109 countries with mandatory legislation for salt iodization and gave a number of lessons learnt for Vietnam. She added that in Vietnam, mandatory salt iodization has been successful and effective in the past. However, voluntary salt iodization and discontinuation of government support led to declines in household coverage of iodized salt and return of iodine deficiency. So that, the new mandatory legislation offers a fresh opportunity to prevent iodine deficiency; but it must be enforced.

A significant proportion of salt is consumed as salty condiments, so processed foods need to be made with iodized salt. Besides, the Government's commitment and coordination is necessary for successful salt iodization in Vietnam.

In July, 2017, a research by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Health at a number of salt and fish sauce factories showed that only salt factories conformed to regulations of the Decree 09, and no fish sauce factories were using iodized salt to produce the sauce.

The businesses are afraid that using iodine could change the colour or smell of foods, which is important to customers.

The Decree 09/2016/ND-CP proposes one year-itinerary for businesses implementing regulations on fortifying iodine in salt and using iodised salt in food processing.

Salt fortified with iodine, iron and zinc must be added to wheat flour, while vegetable oil that contains soybean oil, coconut oil, canola oil or peanut oil is required having vitamin A - excluding vegetable oil used in industrial food processing.

In many nations, using iodised salt in food processing faces obstacles like in Vietnam, and the policy requires support from the business community.

The event, held in Hanoi, is hoped to raise awareness of iodine importance for people’s health, especially with the lack of micro-nutrition in Vietnam and the role of state managing agencies in the implementation of the Decree.

The VUSTA said all petitions and solutions of specialists at the conference would be recorded to send to the Government and relevant agencies for establishing legislative framework to manage the use of iodised salt in food processing./.

H.H

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