Salt Production and Availability of Iodized Salt in the Municipality of Sèmè-Kpodji in 2022

Background: Cooking salt is widely used to provide iodine to humans. In Benin, the production of salt is still artisanal. Our study focused on salt produced in Sèmè-Kpodji, a secondary site of local salt production in Benin, and on the availability of iodine in salt in this municipality. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study included exhaustive salt producers and randomly selected households in Sèmè-Kpodji. Direct observation was made to describe salt production. In household, a standard questionnaire collected data about the physical characteristic of salt used. Iodine content was determined with the MBI kit and by the iodometric titration method. Results: A total of 8 producers and 365 participants in the households were surveyed. Salt is produced by drying sea water on tarps for three and a half days. The process is done in eight (8) steps, the last of which is the iodization of the product and the packaging. By iodometric titration, the salt produced had an iodine content of 5.2ppm. The mean content of iodine in salt in household was: 87.5 ± 66.0ppm (2.6-396.1). Only 31.2% of cooking salt samples were adequately iodized (15-40ppm). High iodine concentrations have been observed in 62.2% of salt samples. Conclusion: Salts consumed in households in Sèmè-Kpodji ’municipality were, for the most part, excessively iodized, whereas local production is artisanal and low in iodine. Iodization of the latter is mandatory before marketing. A monitoring of the salt iodization strategy should be maintained to avoid excessive iodine consumption which can cause hormonal disorders.