The Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong has advised against using iodized table salt as protection against radioactive fallout. This comes after panic buying of iodized salt in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Macau following the discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan. The Centre stated that iodide tablets, not iodized salt, should be used as protection in nuclear emergencies involving radioactive iodine. It noted that iodized salt has a relatively low iodine content and consuming 2.5 to 5 kg of iodized salt a day would be necessary to absorb the equivalent dose of iodine in an iodide tablet. Additionally, excessive salt consumption is harmful to health, particularly for those with high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney disease. The Centre emphasized that iodide tablets should only be consumed during emergencies under the instruction of experts or doctors and do not offer protection against external irradiation or any other radioactive substances besides radioactive iodine.
Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:01:00 GMT | Hong Kong Standard