Israel’s Health Ministry will require manufacturers to add iodine to table salt in an effort to address widespread iodine deficiency, which studies have found is particularly prevalent among pregnant women and children.
The ministry has instructed companies that manufacture and market salt in Israel to add iodine to table salt.
According to the Health Ministry, the directive is comprehensive, and manufacturers have been given two years to fully implement it.
The mandate will apply only to table salt, excluding coarse and industrial salt.
Iodine is a naturally occurring mineral essential for proper thyroid function. Iodine deficiency can increase the risk of infant mortality, stillbirths, congenital defects, cognitive and neurological damage, and various thyroid problems.
According to a 2016 survey, about 60 percent of the population in Israel and about 85 percent of pregnant women suffer from iodine deficiency.
The findings were consistent with data collected by the National Biological Monitoring Program in 2020 and 2021.
A 2021 Health Ministry study determined that iodine concentration among Israeli children was more than 10 percent below the level recommended by the World Health Organization, likely due to the widespread use of desalinated water.
Iodine is naturally found in eggs, seaweed, milk and fish, as well as in natural water sources. Experts previously believed that Israel’s Mediterranean diet would reduce the chance of iodine deficiency in the local population.
However, segments of the Israeli public have adopted vegetarian or vegan diets, while others consume large amounts of processed food. The growing use of numerous imported raw materials may also contribute to the deficiency.
In most developed countries, enriched salt is commonly used to ensure a sufficient level of iodine in the population.
In Israel, about 15 percent of daily salt consumption comes from table salt, which will now contain 30 milligrams of iodine per kilogram.
This is expected to add about 45 micrograms of iodine to the average daily diet – constituting about 30 percent of the recommended daily intake.
Excessive iodine consumption can lead to thyroid problems, but the Health Ministry said it set the amount conservatively, taking into account Israelis with the highest salt consumption, and does not expect the measure to result in excessive iodine intake.
The ministry will also monitor iodine levels in the population and adjust the amount added to salt if necessary.
The ministry emphasized that recommendations to reduce salt consumption remain in effect, and that the way to prevent iodine deficiency is by switching to enriched table salt instead of regular table salt.
