China has had salt much on its mind of late. The discharge of radioactive waters from Fukushima has led to iodised-salt panic buying. And with sea salt the preferred choice for many, so too there are concerns over from where the salt for sale in Nanjing comes.
On 25 August, Jiangsu CDC moved to remind the public that, contrary to popular belief, the eating of iodised salt cannot protect against nuclear radiation.
Three things you need to know:
- The World Heath Organisation advises that a 100 mg dose of iodine is required to protect the thyroid from radioactive particles
- Iodised salt for sale in Jiangsu, China, contains 25 mg/kg of iodine. An average adult would therefore need to eat 4 kilograms of the stuff to be protected
- The effects of eating 4 kilograms of salt are obvious
Yet, there have been those snapping up salt off the shelves of wherever they see it. In Zhenjiang of Jiangsu, the City’s Municipal Market Supervision Bureau issued a warning letter on 26 August to regulate the price of salt in the marketplace.
Amongst the letter’s wording was the reminder to vendors to not collude in raising or manipulating market prices, and to not damage the legitimate rights and interests of other vendors or consumers.
Meanwhile, in our very own Nanjing, many people have been wondering whether the quality and source of the salt sold in the City can be guaranteed?
Nanjing Daily reported on 26 August that at present, Nanjing’s salt consumption equates to approximately 4,500 tonnes per month. Our main source for such is Suyan Jingshen Co., which mines the salt from in excess of 1,000 meters below ground level.
Pure and pollution free, Nanjing’s salt has successively won the “National Quality Award” and the “Jiangsu Provincial Governor Quality Award”.
A spokesperson for Nanjing Salt Industry Co., Ltd. said, “Salt is a staple. China has a strict and perfected, standardised system for the quality inspection thereof. The quality of the salt we supply is traceable and guaranteed. You can rest assured in your purchase. At present, the supply of salt in the Nanjing market is stable, while reserves are also sufficient to meet the daily needs of citizens”.
