Mislabeled salt raises concerns in Uzbekistan

There are cases where some products sold on the packaging as iodized table salt are actually non-iodized technical salt. This was announced today, January 23, at the third plenary session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis by the Chairperson of the Senate, Tanzila Norbayeva.

“Please note that according to the results of the first nine months of last year, out of 263 samples taken for table salt alone, 65, that is, a quarter, of the samples taken from trade and catering establishments, as well as schools and kindergartens, on average, one in three did not meet the established iodine content requirements. There are also cases where non-iodized technical salt is being packaged as iodized table salt. It is certainly good that our committees have paid attention to this urgent issue and given the necessary tasks and instructions to the competent structures,” said Norbayeva.

According to him, iodine deficiency is extremely urgent for Uzbekistan, as it is in many countries. Natural and climatic conditions require a systematic approach to this issue and the implementation of systematic measures. However, the analysis shows that there are aspects that require increased attention in this area.

At the plenary session, the law "On Food Safety" was approved by senators. The purpose of this law is to regulate relations in the field of food safety. The norms of the law are applied to ensuring the safe nutrition of the population with food products of nutritional value, the formation of effective market mechanisms, and the production of food products and raw materials.

The law establishes the main directions of state policy in the field of food safety. In particular, these include the formation of a circulating stock of food products and raw materials in accordance with the minimum norms of food consumption and the expansion of the possibilities of providing the population with basic types of socially significant food products in sufficient quantities and without interruption.

In addition, the state encourages the production of food products in accordance with the sanitary, veterinary, veterinary-sanitary, and phytosanitary rules and norms established by legislative acts. The intensification of foreign economic activity, as well as maintaining an optimal balance between the export and import of basic types of socially significant food products, is also one of the directions of state policy in the field of food security.

The Ministry of Agriculture is designated as the authorized state body in the field of ensuring food security. It is given a number of powers, including coordinating the activities of the republican executive authorities and local executive authorities in the field of food security, preparing proposals to support activities related to the production of food products and raw materials, and developing short, medium and long-term strategies for improving and developing food production processes based on studying factors that negatively affect food security.

The law also establishes measures to be taken by the state to prevent food shortages, the formation of a food balance, and the rights and obligations of consumers and business entities in the field of food security.