Salt is an important ingredient in every dish. It makes food taste good, and the human body can’t live without it. It is needed to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscle fibers, including those in the heart and blood vessels, and maintain a proper fluid balance.
This is why the Philippine government in 1995 enacted Republic Act 8172, or an Act Promoting Salt Iodization Nationwide, or Asin Act, “to protect and promote the health of the people, to maintain an effective food regulatory system, and to provide the entire population especially women and children with proper nutrition.”
The law aims “to contribute to the elimination of micronutrient malnutrition in the country, particularly iodine deficiency disorders, through the cost-effective preventive measure of salt iodization.”
In this regard, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and its attached agencies are providing assistance to private initiatives in producing iodized salt.
A simple ceremony at JM Salt Refinery farm, owned by Grace Monterola in Barangay Cato, Infanta, Pangasinan, was held to launch the I-Salt Project of the DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) and Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).
The product coincided with the Regional Science and Technology Week celebration in Alaminos City, Pangasinan.
The launching was graced by the DOST officials, led by Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano, DOST-ITDI Director Anabelle Briones, DOST Region 1 Director Dr. Armando Q. Ganal and Felicidad M. Gan, the provincial science and technology director of pangasinan.
The I-Salt Project pilots an iodized salt processing model and design. It uses three technologies. One is the saturated brine feed reservoir, an evaporating setup which has 300 L per batch capacity and allows the production of finer salt with higher purity.
Next is the spin dryer that was designed to reduce the moisture of salt in accordance to Asin Act. This can process up to 75 kg per batch of salt even in humid and rainy conditions.
From the spin dryer, salt will be transferred to iodizing machine, a portable screw-type machine, which is operated continuously with 750 kg per hour capacity.
This machine uniformly infuses iodine to the salt at the level of 30 ppm to 70 ppm.
De la Peña recalled that one of the identified targets during the industry forum conducted in Pangasinan last 2015 was the production of iodized salt, thus, the I-Salt Project for Infanta was approved to boost the product quality and productivity of local salt producers in Pangasinan.
Image credits: S&T Media Service