A Scientific article on the use of iodine-enriched salt in bread

-Automatic translation

Iodine is an important mineral that comes to us in trace amounts from our diet. Iodine is necessary for the production of thyroid hormones that play an important role in the body, including during pregnancy for the normal growth and development of the fetus. We get iodine from dairy products (except cheese) and fish such as haddock and cod. In Iceland, inadequate iodine was recently discovered among pregnant women and iodine consumption in the national diet survey in Iceland from 2019-2021 was below the recommended daily intake for 80% of women and 60% of men.

In a recently published paper on the subject, it was discussed how using iodine improved salt in bread would improve the iodine in the population. Data from a dietary survey and a survey on the diet of two-year-old children in Iceland were used for this research. Calculations show that the use of iodine-enriched salt in bread, corresponding to 20 μg of iodine in 100 grams of bread ready for consumption, appears safe for young children. However, this additional iodine concentration in bread would not be sufficient to ensure adequate iodine intake for all adults.

The authors of this paper are academics from the University of Iceland, the Directorate of Health and the Food and Veterinary Authority. The first author of the paper is Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir, a professor of nutrition. The article can be viewed online.

Further information:

Jóhanna Eyrún Torfadóttir

Hólmfríður Þorgeirsdóttir