Rapid salt test kit

The purpose of the rapid salt test kit is to assess the level of iodine in salt used in households. This kit has been included in the end-decade MICS in order to assess progress at country level towards universal salt iodization.

Previous experience with salt kits, most notably in the mid-decade MICS, identified not only that there were several different salt kits used, but that the consistency of the salt kit measurements were problematic.

In order to identify a more suitable salt test kit for the end-decade assessment, different test kits were examined and the best selected for use. One of the parameters used in this examination was a revised recommendation from a WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD expert consultation in May 1999, which recommended that household salt should contain at least 15 parts per million (ppm) of iodine.

The process used in selecting the rapid salt test kit for the end-decade assessment is described in an email from Werner Schultink, Senior Advisor, Micronutrients, Programme Division, UNICEF, New York. html

The recommended salt test kit is available at no cost for use in MICS from Supply Division, UNICEF, and instructions for ordering are given in Supply Directive CF/SD/00-001.

All end-decade surveys intending to assess iodine in household salt should use this recommended kit. There are many salt kits to be found in the field, including several from the same manufacturer (MBI, India), which are not suitable. A copy of the label, which is usually found on the recommended salt test kit, is provided here. Inside there is a colour chart against which the tested salt should be compared - note the use of a cut-off point in the chart at 15 ppm, as several kits from MBI have different cut-off points and are not suitable.

Note: the recommended salt test kit is for testing salt fortified with potassium iodate only. There are only about four countries in the world which use an alternative fortification chemical. In this case you should contact Werner Schutlink (wschultink@unicef.org) for further information.

Last updated on February 22, 2000