ICCIDD and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) have launched a new global salt iodization project and appointed Intertek as an independent cooperation partner. On this Project, Intertek will act as an independent project manager on quality assurance (QA) and control (QC) and an interface between the two main actors: GAIN and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency and Disorders (ICCIDD) both of which will provide this initiative with technical expertise on salt iodization. Within its project management role Intertek will support countries receiving support through the GAIN-UNICEF Universal Salt Iodization Partnership Project through the provision of technical QA and QC services.

The GAIN-UNICEF Universal Salt Iodization partnership project aims to reduce iodine deficiency in 13 countries, representing a total population of 2.3 billon people. The project is intended to meet the needs of the countries for improving the quality of their iodized salt supplies through the implementation of several new findings out of the GAIN-UNICEF project. Based on the technical experience and advice of ICCIDD, Intertek will implement the newly developed QA/QC manuals and training materials. Furthermore, Intertek with support of ICCIDD will offer in-country “train the trainer” workshops to transfer the technical knowledge and the quality relevant contents sustainably to the participating countries which are Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Niger, Pakistan, Senegal and Ukraine. Several of these countries export salt to neighbouring areas so it is expected that the scope of beneficiaries will go beyond the populations living in the countries where the project is operating.