Iodine content of salt in Lae city of Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is among those areas of the world where soils lack iodine. Iodine deficiency leads to a number of disorders including goitre and cretinism. The PNG government has chosen to promote the consumption of adequately iodised salt as one of its intervention programmes to eradicate the iodine deficiency disorders. A study was undertaken to assess the iodine content of salt in the distribution chain in Lae, as well as to assess the per capita salt consumption in the city. It was found that the average salt consumption was 6.59 g/d. However, not all the Lae population were consuming adequately iodised salt. Only 48% of salt samples from one school were adequately iodised. The percentage of wholesale salt samples containing more than the standard 30 p.p.m. iodine increased from 61.5% in 1996 to 90.9% in 1997. The iodine content of the retail samples were 73.5% and 87.1% in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Stricter, sustained and systematic monitoring of the quality of iodised salt procured and distributed in Lae is called for to ensure consumption of adequately iodised salt.