Regulation calls for iodine in bread

Bread is set to become iodine fortified over the next 18 months in a bid to combat New Zealand’s growing problem of iodine deficiency.

“For some years, the amount of iodine people are consuming has been dropping,” said Jenny Reid, assistant director of New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA).

“Reasons include New Zealand’s naturally low soil iodine levels; reductions in the use of iodised salt, as sea and rock salts have become more popular; a general reduction in the amount of salt consumed; and the move away from the use of iodine-based disinfectants in industry and the home. The last Total Diet Survey highlighted the problem, with the levels in New Zealanders now far lower than those of people in other nations.

“Iodine levels that are too low irreversibly impair the development of intelligence in children, beginning in the womb and continuing through childhood. Low iodine levels in adults are also a concern, with severe cases leading to goitre,” he said.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has decided to make it mandatory for bread manufacturers to replace non-iodised salt in breads with iodised salt. Organic products and unleavened bread (such as pita and tortilla) are exempt.

Internationally, the preferred option for increasing iodine levels in food is to ensure all salt (including salt used in processed foods) is iodised, as it is a simple and low-cost way of increasing the iodine content of a range of foods.

Bread manufacturers have until September 2009 to comply with the new regulation, to allow time to make the required changes to manufacturing and labelling. It will also give the salt industry time to increase the production of iodised salt.