Iodized salt has been an important source of dietary iodine, a trace element important for regulating human growth, development, and metabolic functions. This analysis identified iodized table salt sales as a percentage of retail salt sales using Nielsen ScanTrack. We identified 1117 salt products, including 701 salt blends and 416 other salt products, 57 of which were iodized. When weighted by sales volume in ounces or per item, 53% contained iodized salt. These findings may provide a baseline for future monitoring of sales of iodized salt.

The vast majority of sodium intake is estimated to come from packaged and restaurant foods. It is estimated that only 11%–12% comes from salt added to the table or salt added during home cooking. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report on the proportion of iodized and non-iodized salt sold at the retail level in the United States.

Nutrients 2015, 7(3), 1691-1695; doi:10.3390/nu7031691