Only 14 Brands of Iodized Salt in Bolivia Meet Nutrition Fortification Requirements

According to official reports, the Bolivian Ministry of Health recently published the results of an investigation, which showed that out of the 54 registered salt brands sold in the market, only 14 brands of iodized salt (containing potassium iodate) met the nutrition fortification standards.

Deputy Minister of Health, Max Enríquez, pointed out that after strict testing of over 9,309 salt samples from the salt industry, only 36% of the samples contained the required amount of potassium iodate to meet the nutrition fortification requirements.

Among the 14 brands that met the iodized salt fortification standards, 6 brands were from the Oruro Province, 4 brands were from the Cochabamba Province, 3 brands were from the La Paz Province, and 1 brand was an imported product.

Deputy Minister Enríquez further explained the importance of consuming iodized salt, emphasizing its significant role in preventing health issues such as goiter, hypothyroidism, miscarriages, congenital deformities, endemic cretinism, intellectual disabilities, and short stature, which are crucial for the health of the population.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health conducted a comprehensive investigation into the nutritional fortification of wheat flour. The results showed that 10 domestic flour brands and 11 imported Argentine flour brands met the nutritional fortification standards, which helps prevent diseases like anemia.

The Bolivian government is committed to promoting food fortification efforts to ensure the health and well-being of the population. At the same time, the government is also calling on more companies to improve their food nutrition standards to meet the regulatory requirements, so that more people can benefit from these initiatives.