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Journalism of Courage
Common salt is once again the subject of national attention—in the 75th anniversary year of the Mahatma’s Salt March to Dandi.
Professionals, doctors, Gandhians and consumer activists from Mumbai have sent protest letters to the Health Ministry, objecting to a May 27 notification seeking to reimpose a ban on the sale of non-iodised salt for human consumption.
But the Maharashtra Health Department and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are ready to go salt shopping to execute the ban with sample checks.
‘‘We’ll definitely implement the notification from August 15, through the FDA,’’ V S Singh, secretary, Public Health, told The Indian Express. ‘‘Adequate iodine intake is necessary to avoid iodine deficiency related problems.’’
Consumption of adequately iodised salt has fallen from 49 per cent to 37 per cent since the ban was lifted around 2000, and the problem of iodine deficiency disorders figures prominently in the Tenth Five-Year Plan goals for universal access to iodine, especially for children.
The National Institute of Nutrition is researching double fortification of salt with iron and iodine, but not everybody’s for the ban.
In the eighties, petitioners had fought a similar move at the Bombay High Court. Kisan Mehta, president of the Save Bombay Committee that had filed the earlier petition, has posted a protest to the ministry. ‘‘We have requested a hearing in Mumbai,’’ said Mehta. ‘‘A ban on non-iodised salt violates our right to choose.’’
