Salt Iodization Nationwide Act

Policy, purpose, and program intent

The State policy is to protect and promote the health of the people, maintain an effective food regulatory system, and provide proper nutrition to the entire population, especially women and children (Section 2).
The State prioritizes nutritional fortification of food to combat micronutrient malnutrition (Section 2).
The Act aims to eliminate micronutrient malnutrition in the country, particularly iodine deficiency disorders, through the cost-effective preventive measure of salt iodization (Section 3).
The Act establishes a nationwide salt iodization program requiring iodization across the salt supply chain and food use (Section 3).
The Act ensures program sustainability through regulation, monitoring, public information, industry support, and coordination among government agencies (Sections 3, 6, 7, 8).

Core definitions and classifications

Micronutrient malnutrition is defined as a disorder resulting from deficiencies in vitamin A, iron, iodine and other micronutrients needed in minute quantities daily (Section 4).
Iodine deficiency disorders are defined as deficiencies resulting from lack of iodine in the diet that reduce intellectual and physical capacity and may manifest as goiter, mental retardation, physical and mental defects, and cretinism (Section 4).
Food fortification is defined as the addition of nutrients to processed foods at levels above the natural state (Section 4).
Salt iodization is defined as the addition of iodine to salt intended for human or animal consumption in accordance with specifications as to form, fortificant, method, manner and composition prescribed by the BFAD (Section 4).
Food-grade salt is defined as salt for human and animal consumption, distinguished from industrial salt (Section 4).
Industrial salt is defined as salt used in the treatment, processing, and/or manufacture of non-food commercial products (Section 4).
Manufacturer is defined as one who produces, imports, trades in, and distributes salt (Section 4).
Subsistence producer/manufacturer produces, trades in or distributes salt not exceeding two metric tons (2 m.t.) per year (Section 4).
Small producer/manufacturer produces, imports, trades in, or distributes salt ranging from more than two metric tons (2 m.t.) to three hundred metric tons (300 m.t.) per year (Section 4).
Medium producer/manufacturer produces, imports, trades in, or distributes salt ranging from more than three hundred metric tons (300 m.t.) to two thousand metric tons (2,000 m.t.) per year (Section 4).
Large producer/manufacturer produces, imports, trades in, or distributes salt exceeding two thousand metric tons (2,000 m.t.) per year (Section 4).
Regulatory requirements are defined as provisions of applicable laws, regulations, executive orders, and other enactments related to food quality and safety, purity, nutritional composition, and other aspects of food regulation or control (Section 4).

Coverage, applicability, and required availability

The Act applies to the entire salt industry, including salt producers/manufacturers, importers, traders, and distributors (Section 5).
The Act applies to government and non-government agencies involved in salt iodization activities (Section 5).
Iodized salt meeting BFAD standards must be made available to consumers, with staggered enforcement periods: one (1) year for large and medium producers/manufacturers; two (2) years for small producers/manufacturers; and five (5) years for subsistence producers/manufacturers (Section 5).
All food outlets, restaurants, and stores must make available to customers only iodized salt in their establishment upon the Act’s effectivity (Section 5).
Establishments selling or serving food must be monitored through LGUs via health officers and nutritionists/dietitians, or in their absence, sanitary inspectors, to check and monitor the quality of food-grade salt sold or served (Section 5).
In areas endemic to iodine deficiency disorders, iodized salt must be made available through mechanisms by local government officials at provincial and municipal levels using ordinances and public information campaigns (Section 5).
All food manufacturers/processors using food-grade salt must use iodized salt in processing and must comply not later than one (1) year from the Act’s effectivity, without prejudicing the quality and safety of their food products (Section 5).
When iodized salt fortification is alleged to cause prejudicial effects, the burden of proof and testing for any prejudicial effects lies on the food manufacturer/processor (Section 5).
Salt producers/manufacturers must register with BFAD, which maintains an updated registry and monitors compliance with the salt iodization program (Section 5).
All food-grade salt must be labeled in a manner that is true and accurate, not likely to mislead purchasers, and in accordance with BFAD requirements (Section 5).
For three (3) years from effectivity, DOH provides free iodized salt to indigents residing in sixth class municipalities as allowed by annual appropriations (Section 5).

Industry obligations, regulation, and monitoring

Producers/manufacturers, importers, traders, and distributors are required to iodize food-grade salt that they produce, manufacture, import, trade, or distribute as a statutory purpose of the Act (Section 3).
BFAD must set and enforce standards for food-grade iodized salt and monitor compliance by food-grade salt manufacturers (Section 3).
LGUs must, through health officers and nutritionists/dietitians or sanitary inspectors in their absence, check and monitor the quality of food-grade salt sold in their market to ascertain that such salt is properly iodized (Section 3).
DTI must regulate and monitor trading of iodized salt (Section 3).
Salt producers/manufacturers must register with BFAD and BFAD must maintain an updated registry of salt producers/manufacturers (Section 5).
BFAD must authorize and enforce labeling and standards for food-grade iodized salt through BFAD-prescribed requirements (Sections 4, 5).
All food manufacturers/processors using food-grade salt must use iodized salt in processing and comply within the timeline set by the Act (Section 5).
Salt iodization compliance is enforced through staggered compliance periods tied to producer/manufacturer size classes (Section 5).

Government support and technology transfer

DTI must assist and support local salt producers/manufacturers in upgrading production technologies to include iodization by helping them obtain soft loans and financial assistance for procurement of salt iodization machines, packaging equipment and technology and fortificant, and by ensuring systematic distribution of iodized salt in the market (Section 6).
CDA must assist in forming cooperatives of local salt producers/manufacturers so they can economically engage in salt iodization and distribution of iodized salt (Section 6).
DOST, in collaboration with TLRC, must develop and implement comprehensive programs for acquisition, design, and manufacture of salt iodization machines and transfer of salt iodization technology to small and subsistence local salt producers/manufacturers (Section 6).
DENR and other appropriate government agencies must identify suitable salt farm areas and protect those areas from environmental risks to ensure sustainability of iodized salt production (Section 6).

Public information and education campaigns

DOH must spearhead an organized, systematic, nationwide information campaign to disseminate and promote the benefits and rationale of iodized salt, in cooperation and coordination with LGUs and other concerned agencies (Section 7).
The campaign must involve major sectors of society and must particularly include coordination with DECS, PIA, provincial science centers, the private sector, and students (Section 7).
The implementing agency must seek media sector cooperation to assist in public information dissemination in coordination with PIA (Section 7).
Salt iodization and its benefits must be included and given emphasis in all levels of health subjects in both public and private schools (Section 7).

Advisory board powers and reporting

The National Nutrition Council (NNC), as presently composed and including representatives of DENR, the medical profession, and salt manufacturers, serves as the salt iodization advisory board (Section 8).
The NNC functions as the policy and coordinating body on salt iodization programs and activities (Section 8).
The NNC must coordinate efforts of all agencies concerned and monitor implementation of the Act (Section 8).
The NNC must submit an annual report to Congress on progress of the salt iodization program and offer recommendations for improvement (Section 8).

Sanctions, enforcement procedure, and fines

Sanctions under the Act and inspection/investigation procedures for premises where salt is received, held, manufactured, labeled, stored, displayed, delivered, distributed, sold, or located, or where these activities are reasonably believed to occur, must follow Republic Act No. 3720, the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, As Amended (Section 9).
Any person, whether natural or juridical, who violates any provision of the Act or any rules and regulations for its effective implementation must be punished with a fine of not less than PHP 1,000 nor more than PHP 100,000 (Section 9).
If the violation is committed by an officer, director, or member of a business and a juridical entity acting beyond the scope of authority, the responsible officer, director, or member is personally liable for the fine (Section 9).
Every violator suffers revocation of its business permit and/or a ban of its product from the market (Section 9).
BFAD, in coordination with concerned LGUs, is authorized to impose and collect the fines from violators, and collections accrue to BFAD for use in implementing the Act (Section 9).

Appropriations, implementing rules, and separability

The amount necessary for implementation initially must be charged to the appropriations of agencies concerned under the current General Appropriations Act (Section 10).
After the initial period, the amount necessary must be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (Section 10).
The DOH, in cooperation with concerned agencies, must formulate necessary implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from approval (Section 11).
If any portion of the Act is declared invalid, the remainder remains valid and enforceable (Section 12).