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Meherpur people face serious health risk as non-iodised salt on sale

Published : Monday, 11 January, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 400
MR Alam
Non-edible salts being sold in a Meherpur market. photo: observer

Non-edible salts being sold in a Meherpur market. photo: observer

MEHERPUR, Jan 10: Seriously harmful sodium sulfate, a rawhide- processing salt,   is being sold as edible salt (sodium chloride) in different markets, villages and remote areas of the district.
Some unscrupulous traders are selling this non-edible sodium sulfate as sodium chloride, reliable sources said.
Sodium sulfate is an industrial raw material. In processing rawhide, it is used mainly. But collecting from rawhide processing factories,  dishonest vendors are selling that salt in open market. They are being imbued with brisk profits.
By mixing with iodised salt, this sodium sulfate is being passed to ignorant consumers. Sometimes, full bags of non-iodised salt are sold   by hawkers in different villages.
 Due to the ingestion of this industrial salt (industrial or global salt), human stomachs, kidney and liver can be attacked. It also can cause goiter disease, according to physicians.
This salt is being brought from different districts including Sylhet and Khulna.
In Meherpur District, this non-iodised salt is being sold from one Abdul Wahab's leather-processing factory, adjacent to the old bus stand in the district town.
Different rural vendors are purchasing the salt from his factory. Later, they are selling this in a cheaper price to the villagers who are ignorant about its harmful impact. Mainly, low-income group people in villages are buying that rawhide-processing salt. Accordingly, they are consuming it themselves; their cattle are being fed as well.
In 1994, the government imposed a ban on the sale of iodine-free salt.  Iodine Deficiency Prevention Act was enacted in 1989. Then a  survey was conducted in 1993 on the impact of non-iodised salt. The survey detected goiter in  47.1 per cent of people in Bangladesh.
Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Meherpur 250-bed General Hospital Muklesur Rahman said, "Iodine deficiency causes goiter. It also causes enlarging of thyroid gland. It can causes  disability too."
 Not only that, incidence of               miscarrying can be caused to carrying mothers due to iodine deficiency, he pointed out.
One worker in Abdul Wahab's leather factory Sudhir Das said, "Everyday, we sell this salt  at Tk 480 per 50 kg  and Tk 580 per 60 kg.''
 Another Babu said, some van-pullers are buying this salt.
When asked, some of them said, they do not know whether there is iodine in this salt.
It was also admitted by Abdul Wahab. But he could not answer when asked whether he has approval to sell that salt.
Meherpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Masudul Alam said,  "Selling iodine-free salt as edible one is a crime."
"We will investigate the matter. Action will be taken if found true", he added.




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