Ordinary salt is being sold indiscriminately by claiming it to be iodized, administration has ordered an investigation

The common salt that is manufactured in Nawan City of Rajasthan is being distributed throughout the country and abroad by labeling it as iodized. Poor individuals are also supplied this salt under government schemes, but the quality of the salt is not duly checked. Due to the negligence of the officials and the collusion of the traders, this has been going on for a long time, but now the administration has ordered an investigation into it.

According to Amar Ujala sources, in the greed of more production and more profits, local entrepreneurs are not adding iodine to ordinary salt, the lack of which can cause serious health problems in people. According to the rules of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the amount of iodine in edible salt should be 15 to 30 ppm, but this standard is not being met in the salt of Nawan. When a complaint is made in this regard, the officials suppress the matter by doing only paperwork. In connivance with the salt traders, samples of already prepared packing are taken, due to which proper investigation is not possible.

Last month, the railways had lodged a complaint regarding the quality of salt being sent from the Nawan and Halbadh area of ​​​​Gujarat. When the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) investigated, it was found that there was only a nominal amount of iodine in the salt. After this, the railways imposed a heavy fine on the traders. However, the entrepreneurs converted this salt into the D category in collusion with the railways and officials, due to which the railways started getting more fare and the traders got huge profits.

Local traders complained in writing to the Additional District Collector of Didwana-Kuchaman Mahendra Meena and told him that iodine is not being mixed in the salt that is being manufactured in Nawan. Also, railway officials are transporting C-category salt by declaring it as D-category.

Additional District Collector Mahendra Kumar Meena said that we have written a letter to the higher authorities of the railways regarding not mixing iodine in salt and transporting it by changing the category. Apart from this, the Chief Medical Officer has been instructed to take samples from all the factories and send them for examination. As soon as the report comes, strict action will be taken against the guilty.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Narendra said that a team has been formed to investigate the salt production units. Appropriate steps will be taken soon after receiving the report.

It is worth noting that lack of iodine in the body can cause many serious diseases like goiter, lack of mental development, hypothyroidism, intellectual disability in newborns. In such a situation, it becomes the responsibility of the government and the administration to ensure the quality of edible salt so that the health of the common people is not compromised.