About 1.5 billion people, or nearly one-third of the Earth's population, live in areas of iodine deficiency. Its consequences, the so-called iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), include irreversible mental retardation, goiter, reproductive failure, increased child mortality, and socioeconomic compromise. All of these results can be prevented by sufficient iodine in the diet. Eliminating iodine deficiency is recognized as one of the most achievable of the goals that the 1990 World Summit for Children set for the year 2000.
Iodized salt is the best means for providing iodine to iodine- deficient populations. It is physiological, simple, practical, and effective. This book provides a short non-technical introduction to its production and use. The initial sections give a background on the iodine deficiency disorders. We then describe salt production and iodization, quality control, monitoring, and marketing. Additional chapters consider the central role of iodized salt in national plans for IDD elimination. Our intended audience is salt producers and distributors, government officials in industry, trade and health sectors responsible for iodine deficiency control programs, relevant national and international agencies, and all other individuals concerned with iodine deficiency and its prevention.
<more details> including further background on salt, why a strong consensus supports iodizing salt as the preferred solution to overcoming iodine deficiency, the history of salt iodization, how salt is made and how salt is iodized. Or see: Chapter from Towards The Global Elimination of Brain Damage Due to Iodine Deficiency
