Assessing the impact of processed foods on iodine nutrition

Traditionally, efforts to combat iodine deficiency have centered on iodization of salt for household use, but it is becoming increasingly clear that industrially processed foods play an increasingly significant role in dietary salt intake worldwide, with the potential to reach populations who lack access to iodized salt at household level.

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Iodine Global Network (IGN) developed guidance designed to assist national program managers in assessing the potential impact of widely consumed salt-containing industrially processed foods and condiments on iodine intake. To evaluate the guidance and pinpoint areas for refinement, its implementation was piloted in North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Technical support from IGN facilitated the implementation process, which was conducted by national teams.

The results of this work are published in this collection of papers on four of the pilot programs, which illustrate how evidence from implementation could be used to strengthen existing national salt iodization initiatives.

IGN recently announced an investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance equitable and sustainable iodine programs.  This funding includes support for the next stage of IGN’s work on processed foods, which aims to understand the strategic use of iodized salt in processed foods to address coverage gaps in iodine nutrition. The work will involve an extensive review of available data from multiple studies on the use of key salt-containing processed foods, aimed at improving implementation guidance for national food fortification programs.

Find the collection here.