(a) whether different kinds of salt are being advertised and declared on television as the best salt available;
(b) if so, whether all the salts being so advertised are approved by the Government;
(c) if not, the reasons for allowing such misleading advertisements; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure supply of only approved quality salt to the public?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI TASLIMUDDIN)
(a) : Under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme
the Government has been advertising the use of only iodated salt for direct human consumption
to overcome the problem of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in the country and not any particular
brand of iodated salt.
(b) : The Union Government have laid down standards of Iodated salt under
the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and rules 1955.
(c) : The manufacture of iodated salt is liberalized to the Private Sector also,
therefore some of companies may sometimes overemphasize the quality of their product through
TV advertisements.
(d) : In order to ensure consumption of approved quality of Iodated salt by
the public, the same is being monitored by Salt Commissioner at manufacturing level and States/
UTs health Directorate at consumption level both under IDD monitoring laboratory and Public
Health Laboratory under the Prevention of Food adulteration Act, 1954.