Following a successful nationwide public health campaign, iodine nutrition in Russia has been on the lips of the national media, public health experts and, at last, the decision makers.

At a high-level inter-agency meeting on June 21, a draft amendment was discussed to the current Federal Law on the quality and safety of food products, which would require the addition of iodine to certain grades of retail table salt, and salt used in the production of bread and other baked goods. Use of iodized table salt would also be required by institutions providing catering services for children, pupils, patients, and athletes.

The meeting had broad representation from all key government stakeholders in the new law: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as Rosstat (Russian Statistics Committee) and the Eurasian Commission—a governing body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The IGN was represented by Prof. Ekaterina Troshina of the Russian Endocrinology Research Center (RERC), who participated as an expert.