The implications of the global iodine market for iodine nutrition

The human body needs constant, small amounts of iodine in the diet, and we know that adding tiny amounts of iodine to salt for human and animal consumption is a simple and very inexpensive way to protect populations from the effects of iodine deficiency. This practice has led to a global public health success over the past three decades.

In recent years, supplies of iodine decreased due to production delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand grew and the product became more expensive, creating a challenging situation for salt producers, especially small enterprises.  In this blog, we decided to look at global iodine production to understand where salt iodization fits in and whether the supply is sufficient to meet the needs of the global population.

Our first discovery was how little of the global iodine supply is used for human and animal nutrition. According to a report from AMISAC, the Mexican salt industry association, demand of iodine for human nutrition was just 3% of the world total. Demand for iodine for production of animal feed – which when used, can boost iodine content of dairy products – is about 7%.

There are other sectors with much greater demand for iodine – the main one as an X-ray contrast medium (31% of global demand in 2022). It’s also used as a polarized film for LCD displays (13%), in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals (13%), and in several other products such as fluoride derivatives (7%) biocides (5%) and polymers (3%) .

The AMISAC report notes that in 2022, five Chilean companies represented approximately 58% of total global sales, with eight Japanese producers accounting for 26% of global iodine sales, including recycled iodine extracted from industrial production waste streams. It is estimated that 17% of the world’s iodine supply now comes from recycling.

Demand for iodine increased in 2022, mainly due to an increase of about 6% in the use of contrast media, solutions containing iodine that are given to patients to enhance the ability to see blood vessels and organs on medical images such as CAT scans and X-rays.  As global demand for iodine increases, so does price.  SQM Chile, the world’s major producer of iodine for 110 countries, with about a third of all global iodine sales in 2022, noted that average iodine prices increased by approximately 67% compared to 2021.

The AMISAC report shows that global demand for iodine clearly continues to grow. We at IGN are concerned that higher prices have the potential to reduce salt iodization, especially in countries where iodization is done voluntarily by producers.  Some countries use specific import and funding mechanisms to ensure local availability of potassium iodate, and such mechanisms may be needed in more countries should global prices continue to rise.  This economic aspect of salt iodization is yet another reason for a continued monitoring of salt iodization programs and their impact on iodine status.