Iodised salt in the UK: a market survey of retail salt and its use in processed foods
Joanne K. Tattersall, Margaret P. Rayman, Sokratis Stergiadis, Sarah C. BathAbstract
Objective:
There is no salt iodisation policy in the UK but there is evidence of iodine deficiency in teenage girls and adults. Iodised salt availability was last assessed in 2009, but the use of iodised salt in processed foods on sale in the UK is unknown. This study aimed to update the availability of retail (i.e. table) iodised salt and evaluate its use in processed foods.
Design:
Availability of retail iodised salt was assessed through a market survey of ten supermarket chains, either online ( n 9) or in-store ( n 1). The use of iodised salt in processed foods was evaluated via ‘Google-site’ searches of the nine online supermarkets. Iodine provided from salt in processed foods was estimated assuming a salt–iodine concentration of 24 mg iodine/kg (based on WHO guidance).
Setting:
UK supermarkets in 2024.
Participants:
NA.
Results:
One brand of iodised table salt was sold in three supermarket chains (30 %), costing over four times the price of own-brand table salt. There were 237 processed foods containing iodised salt, which were mostly meat products (36·3 %, n 86). Iodine provision from salt in the processed foods ranged from 0·8 to 112·8 µg per portion (0·5–75 % of the 150 µg/d recommendation for adults).
Conclusions:
Retail iodised salt is available at few UK supermarkets, and <1 % of processed foods available in the UK are made with iodised salt. Iodised salt is unlikely to be an important food source of iodine in the UK, given poor access and high cost for consumers and low use by the food industry.