Regional Bantay Asin Task Force (RBATF) is there to Monitor the implementation of the Salt Iodization Program (SIP) and continues to strengthen the enforcement of the RA 8172, otherwise known as the Act on Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) Law will again convene and also to provide updates on the result of the recently conducted Salt Testing where food-grade salt samples were collected from the LGUs and submitted to the NNC9 Regional Office. also provide their 1st semester Accomplishment Report on the activities conducted by the Local Bantay Asin Task Force (LBATF) to improve the SIP and address the problem of Iodine Deficiency Disorder in the locality.
The WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD recommends that the salt iodine content at the packaging level must be 50-60 ppm and 20-30 ppm at the retail shops, to achieve at least 15 ppm in the household dietary consumption. Salt iodine content is one of the indicators which is used for a sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency as a public health problem, followed by a median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of the population and programmatic indicators at the national and regional levels. The availability and the usage of adequately iodized salt (>15 ppm and <40 ppm at household level) must be ensured.
NNC9 virtually conducts the 2nd Semester Regular Meeting of the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force (RBATF) via Google Meet. The meeting highlights the presentation of the 2nd semester salt testing result for the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay as well as the cities of Dipolog, Dapitan, Zamboanga, and Isabela and the presentation of the 1st semester accomplishment report of the LGUs on their LBATF activities in the SIP Implementation. The meeting concluded with the discussion on the next steps and ways forward. The online meeting was participated by no-less than twenty (20) RBATF members and LGU representatives as well as NNC9 staff. The National Nutrition Council Regional Office IX (NNC RO9) will continuously Monitor the protocol aims to establish structured process for field inspection of salt manufacturers, including producers, merchants, distributors, importers, and repackagers on Nutrition Program Management which will soon help them be champions for Nutrition!
ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND
