Court stays May 17 ban on sale of common, non-iodised salt
MUMBAI: A day before the government ban on the sale and consumption common edible salt was to be enforced, Justice KJ Rohee of Bombay High Court stayed it on Tuesday in a petition filed by Sarva Sewa Sangha and Rashtriya Yuva Sanghathan.
The petition pleaded that purchase of iodized salt would increase the strain on the already stretched budget of ordinary people. A family of four consumes about 70gm of salt per day, or about 2kg per month.
“Non-iodised salt sells at about Rs2 per kg, whereas iodised salt sells at Rs6 per kg or more. This means an additional burden of Rs8 per month on families below the poverty line. If we assume that about 50 crore people can be coerced into buying iodised salt, it means an additional burden on the poor of about Rs2,400 crore annually,” said social activist Shailesh Gandhi, president of the Indian Institute of Technology alumini.
The petition said that the ban violated citizen’s right to opt for the product of his choice. The petition cited the case of Kumkum Somani, whose health deteriorated from excessive consumption of iodine in iodized common salt.
The government justified its stand by quoting health experts who said iodine deficiency caused spontaneous abortion in women and reduced learning capability among children up to 13 IQ points. Iodine was necessary for the production of thyroxin, a key growth hormone from the foetal stage to adolescence, according to medical professionals.
The Union Health Ministry on November 17, 2005, sought to reimpose a ban on sale of non-iodized salt (for direct human consumption) which was lifted in 2000 after public outcry. The present ban was to be effective from May 17.
Doctorspeak
Dr PV Vaidyanathan, paediatrician, says: 99% per cent of iodine is used by thyroid gland
Too less or too much of iodine can cause problems
There is a theoretical danger that someone might consume excess of iodine unless strict guidelines are adhered to
Petitioners’ Points
A citizen has the right to choose which salt he wants to use
Rise in thyrotoxicosis cases after iodised salt was introduced
India uses potassium iodate instead of potassium iodide to iodise common salt. Studies in Australia show a high incidence of thyrotoxicosis with potassium iodate
Cereals, millets, pulses, dals, leafy vegetables, spices, jaggery, eggs, milk and milk products and even tap water contain iodine in its natural, absorbable form
Contrary to perception, only 2.5 per cent of the population, mainly in the Northeast, suffer from cretinism because of iodine deficiency
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