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Internal quality control by domestic producers of iodized salt
Assesses whether salt producers use Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the production, packaging and monitoring of iodized salt, ensuring that iodized salt is adequately fortified based on the national standard.
A critical indicator of adequate salt iodization is the quality of iodized salt leaving production facilities. This may be reflected in a proportion of samples meeting government standards, or samples plotted regularly in a control chart to demonstrate that samples fall within the acceptable range.
With agreements through the World Trade Organization, member countries are duty-bound to promote the guidelines of the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the Codex Alimentarius. The most widespread industry-adopted ISO guidelines for quality management are the ISO 9001 series, which describe a set of specific Standard Operating Procedures that can be adapted to produce adequately iodized salt (1). All food-grade salt that is produced should be properly packaged and labeled in accordance with CODEX STAN 150-1985 (2) or a local adaptation of this standard. All salt producers should be using proper SOPs to ensure that salt iodine levels meet the national standard and should maintain a salt iodine laboratory, which ideally is independently quality assured.
Documentation that each domestic salt producer follows a locally defined Quality Management System that specifies the Standard Operating Procedures for iodized salt production. The SOP should include assessment of the salt sampling design during production, the laboratory analysis of salt iodine content and the reporting practices: Yes/No.
Considerations for the estimation:
a. If there are more than a few domestic salt producers, then it might be appropriate to report this indicator as the proportion that follow SOPs instead of Yes/No for each producer.
b. Ideally this indicator is reported annually, but other periodicities might be appropriate or useful depending on the frequency of data collection and availability of information.
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Food fortification
Activity
Production and supply, Quality
All
Early childhood development, Emergency setting or displaced population, Lactation, Pregnancy
Iodine
Market-based
Within national salt industries, the adoption of Quality Management Systems usually first occurs in large to medium size companies, followed by smaller facilities. In some countries, Quality Management Systems for salt iodization are incorporated into standards promoted by salt industry associations.
Data that document producers are following SOPs are collected during the regular inspections by the Food Control Agency which may be considered "proprietary data” and not always readily shared by the Food Control Agency.
In many countries, food inspectors are required to conduct several tasks that may limit their ability to monitor processing of several foods. In many cases, these inspectors are focused on food safety and not on food fortification, so the data for this indicator may be collected and available irregularly or not at all
Data to verify this indicator may be routinely collected by food inspectors in the country and readily available.
This information may be collected during the regulatory inspections by the Food Control Agency, which may be considered "proprietary data” and not always readily shared by the Food Control Agency.
In many countries, food inspectors are required to conduct several tasks that may limit their ability to monitor processing of several foods. In many cases, these inspectors are focused on food safety and not on food fortification, so the data for this indicator may be collected irregularly or not at all.
There are currently two major salt producers within a country. In 1998, both companies started producing iodized salt using potassium iodate on production lines supplied by international donors. By 2003, they were producing 65,000 tons of adequately iodized salt covering more than half the total demand of the country. Both companies have implemented Quality Management Systems and routinely use Standard Operating Procedures in the production, packaging and monitoring of iodized salt. Both companies are ISO 9001-2008 certified. This is verified by inspectors from the Food Control Agency.
For this indicator (internal quality control by domestic producers of iodized salt), the response was “Yes” for each producer.
1. ISO 9001, Quality management systems. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization; 2008 (http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=46486, accessed 28 January 2015).
2. Codex Alimentarius. Codex Standard for food grade salt. CODEX STAN 150-1985. Adopted in 1985; revised in 1997; 2012; amended in 1999; 2001; 2006 (www.codexalimentarius.org/input/download/standards/3/CXS_150e.pdf, accessed 28 January 2015).