Take it with a grain of iodised salt

If you're going to take it with a grain of salt, make sure it's iodised, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZSFA) says.

NZFSA nutrition programme manager David Roberts said iodine was an essential nutrient for growth and development, however iodine deficiency was re-emerging as a population-wide health problem because New Zealanders weren't getting enough of it in their diet.

"Because iodine can't be made in the body we need to get it from the food we eat," he said. "Iodine supports normal growth and development in children and helps to maintain the body's metabolic rate."

Iodine deficiency in New Zealand was being addressed through a variety of measures, including requiring bakers to replace non-iodised salt with iodised salt in most bread since September last year.

NZFSA's recent study of iodine in salt products available for retail sale tested six iodised salt products and 14 non-iodised sea, rock and low-sodium salt products.

Results showed the amount of iodine in the iodised products on average ranged from 32 to 64 milligrams per kilogram of salt, while iodine in the non-iodised products ranged from 1 to 5 milligrams per kilogram of salt.

Mr Roberts said New Zealanders were generally recommended to reduce salt intake.

"If you have too much salt in your diet your blood pressure is in danger of going up, and this can elevate your risk of cardiovascular disease.

"However, if you like to add a little salt to your food during cooking, you might as well get some health benefit by choosing an iodised product and increasing the iodine in your diet." Other sources of iodine included reduced or low-fat milk and milk products, eggs and seafood. Foods that contained seaweed such as sushi and seameal custard were also sources.