Food safety watchdog says iodized salt is no antidote for radiation

Iodized table salt should not be used as protection against radioactive fallout, Hong Kong’s food safety watchdog has said amid panic buying of the condiment locally, on the mainland and in Macau.

The Centre for Food Safety’s call came after Japanese authorities commenced the discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power station on Thursday.

The center said in previous nuclear emergencies where radioactive iodine might have been involved, iodide tablets would have been distributed by the health authority as some form of protection against radiation effects by preventing the uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland.

However, it noted that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that iodine-rich foods and iodized salt, would have a similar radiation protective effect as iodide tablets. 

“For iodized salt, its iodine content is relatively low. Moreover, one has to take about 2.5 to 5 kg of iodized salt a day in order to absorb the equivalent dose of iodine that is contained in an iodide tablet,” it wrote.

Meanwhile, consuming an excessive amount of salt is harmful to health, especially for those with high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease, it added.

The center also said iodide tablets should only be consumed during emergencies and under the instruction of experts or doctors, adding that the tablets are not radiation antidotes and do not offer protection against external irradiation or any other radioactive substances besides radioactive iodine.

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