NEARLY 200 daycare pupils in La Trinidad are being monitored for the use of iodized salt to avoid micronutrient deficiency disorder.
Municipal Nutrition Officer I Anna Elizabeth Ota-ot said they have collected samples of salt for testing to make sure most households in the Valley are consuming the right salt.
"We asked these daycare pupils to bring a little amount of the salt they use at home for analysis. If they claim it is iodized then it has to be really iodized from the sample," she said.
Ota-ot added the program is in partnership with the Benguet State University College of Home Economics and Technology thru Nutrition Department Associate Professor IV, Dr. Imelda Degay.
The municipal nutritionist cited the local government unit funded P16,400 while BSU offered P4,500 for the study.
The monitoring is a way to combat consequences of iodine deficiency disorder such as goiter, growth abnormalities, low I.Q. and other diseases, said the nutritionist.
During their analysis, they discovered there are still few who do not use iodized salt.
“We will inform their teachers about this and then the household to shift from use of ordinary salt to iodized,” Ota-ot said.
"Our advocacy is to encourage them to use iodized salt. In this study, it will help us also determine areas of strength and aspects of the program needing improvement," she explained.
Oat-ot emphasized after their sampling from the children, they will visit stores to qualify their salt products for iodine content.
In the region, there are six iodization plants including Benguet Salt Iodization Plant located at the Benguet General Hospital Compound in Km.5, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Since 1995, a comprehensive and documented monitoring in Benguet had been conducted, revealing the low level of iodized salt utilization but it has slowly decreased after continuous advocacies.