OBJECTIVETo understand the national situation of quality and consumption of iodized salt at production and household levels.

METHODSDetailed surveillance method could be found in 'national iodized salt surveillance scheme', issued by MOH in 2004. The iodine concentrations in salt (except some special kinds of salt) were detected by direct titration with national standard of GB/T 13025.7-1999, in which the iodine content in qualified iodized salt was set as between 20 and 50 mg/kg and that in non-iodized salt was set as below 5 mg/kg.

RESULTSAt production level, the national lot qualified rate was 98.36% and all the provincial lot qualified rate of production level was over 90%. At household level, the national iodized salt coverage rate of household was 96.87% and the national qualified iodized salt coverage rate was 93.75%. 4 provinces (Tibet, Hainan, Xinjiang and Guangdong) had an iodized salt coverage rate lower than 90%. Further, the qualified iodized salt coverage rate of 5 provinces (Tibet, Hainan, Xinjiang, Guangdong and Qinghai) was below 90%. In 2006,80 counties did not conduct the iodized salt surveillance and non-iodized salt coverage rate of 185 counties was higher than 10%. In the respect of the qualified iodized salt coverage rate at household level, there were about 10 percent lagging behind the national goal that 95% of all the counties in China should achieve virtual elimination of iodine deficiency disorder before 2010.

CONCLUSIONAt national level,the lot qualified rate at production level and the iodized salt coverage rate at household level maintained comparatively well. However, at county level, there were 75 counties whose iodized salt coverage rate was below 70%.