Iodized salt use in packaged food

Peer-Reviewed / Manuscript (short paper) received: August 16, 2023 / Revison accepted: Oktober 16, 2023

An estimation based on the German product monitoring

Introduction

Data on the iodine supply of the German population show that around 30% of adults and 44% of children have an iodine intake below the estimated average requirement [1–3]. To optimize the iodine supply, the use of iodized salt is recommended in private households, in out-of-home catering and in artisanal and industrial food production. As the majority of daily salt intake comes from processed foods, these products could make a decisive contribution to improving iodine intake when iodized salt is used. However, a study conducted by the University of Giessen in 2018 showed that the use of iodized salt in dairy products, baked goods, meat products and sausages varied considerably and was partly at a very low level [4]. The product monitoring of packaged food (PM) carried out as part of the German National Reduction and Innovation Strategy (NRI) allows this picture of the use of iodized salt in finished products in Germany to be updated and expanded.

In 2016, the Max Rubner-Institut (MRI) collected data on the energy and nutrient content of packaged food from 18 product groups with a total of 12,500 products as part of a baseline survey for Germany [5]. Since 2019, such surveys have been carried out annually and selected product groups have been repeatedly examined in follow-up surveys [6–9]. In addition to the energy and nutrient content, the PM also records other product information such as ingredient lists, so that conclusions can also be drawn regarding the use of iodized salt. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current status of the use of iodized salt in packaged food and to compare the proportion of products in which iodized salt was used with that of the baseline survey. ...

Abstract

Due to the declining iodine supply in Germany, efforts are being made to increase the use of iodized salt, e. g. in packaged food. Based on data from the national product monitoring of packaged food of the Max Rubner-Institut (MRI), in this article the proportion of packaged food containing iodized salt is estimated for eleven product groups and each proportion is compared with a baseline survey from 2016. Across the product groups examined, the proportion of products in which iodized salt is used varies significantly and is at a low level overall. At just under 50%, sausages had the highest proportion of products containing iodized salt among the product groups surveyed. In contrast, the proportion of bread and bread rolls, which just as sausages, are an important source of salt in the diet, is considerably lower, but higher than in the baseline survey.

Keywords: iodine, salt, packaged food, product monitoring, food industry, ingredient list, National Reduction and Innovation Strategy, product groups, nutrient content

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