As of March 1 only iodised salt will be available for sale

Starting March 1, the Government intends to allow importing and putting on the market only iodised salt. As from the same date, iodised salt will be primarily used in the food industry, while starting 2009 it will be used in all the branches of the food industry. The imported iodised salt will have to be packed up in a waterproof polyethylene or polypropylene packing and labelled according to the required normative documents. These actions are part of a national Programme designed to eradicate the diseases caused by iodine deficiency, until the year of 2010. The Government’s data show that all the salt used in Moldova comes from import, mostly being bought from Ukraine. Under the pretext of supplying the food industry with iodised salt, it is imported and sold not only to the enterprises in the food industry but also to the population. At the same time, the informative note of the Government specifies that the results of the researches carried out in the countries that traditionally use iodised salt for preserves show that iodised salt does not influence the odour, colour and their composition. As authors say, iodine deficiency in food continues to increase in Moldova due to the natural geographical environment that is poor in iodine and because of the irrational nutrition. Iodine deficiency affects the brain, which later may result in mental retardation, goitre, diverse neurological affections and incapacities. According to the data from the World Health Organisation, Moldova is a country that shows a medium level of health abnormalities related to iodine deficiency. However, authorities consider that the situation needs special attention, as over 37% of children aged 8-10 manifest visible or palpable forms of goitre. Statistics show that 90% of the consequences of the iodine deficiency remain hidden, resulting later in miscarriage and premature births, diverse congenital anomalies, prenatal and infantile mortality, neurological congenital cretinism, physical and mental development lag, reduced cognitive capacities. Out of an estimated 40,000 new-borns delivered in Moldova each year, nearly 14,800 are born with an irreversible intellectual impairment. The Government already assesses that, by counteracting iodine deficiency, it will obtain an annual profit of about USD 6 mln in the future.