Organoleptic study of deacidified and deodourised palm oil.

Deficiency of vitamin A has long been identified as a serious and preventable nutritional disorder, associated with increased risk of mortality and morbidity amongst children. The present study was conducted with the objectives (i) to perform organoleptic testing of food products cooked in Deacidified and Deodourised Palm Oil (DDPO), by sensory evaluation method and (ii) to compare the characteristics of these food products with the same products cooked in routinely used oil. Eleven commonly used weaning food items were prepared with routinely used oil (Group A). The same recipes were also prepared with DDPO (Group B). A food testing panel conducted the sensory evaluation for assessing the acceptability of the various food items. It was observed that with respect to all characteristics there was no significant difference in the recipes made with the two types of oil. Results Indicated that DDPO can be used in India for preparation of weaning foods which are routinely given to young children.

Nutritional risk factors in esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The present case-control study was undertaken with the objective to study the nutritional risk factors associated with esophageal cancer. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and fifty diagnosed esophageal cancer patients and an equal number of healthy individuals constituted the patient and control groups, respectively. Dietary consumption pattern during the preceding 20 years prior to the diagnosis of esophageal cancer was assessed utilising the standard food frequency questionnaire method. Information on alcohol consumption, smoking habits, chewing of betel leaf with tobacco was also collected. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk of esophageal cancer was 7.81 times (p < 0.01) higher with daily consumption of alcohol. The risk increased to 3.16 times (p < 0.01) with the daily habit of chewing of betel leaf with tobacco. Nearly a two fold risk was observed when the consumption of "other vegetables" was less than four times per week. A 1.95 times (p < 0.01) increase in risk was observed with the daily habit of bidi smoking. CONCLUSION: Cancers in general are multifactorial in origin, and several environmental interactions are possible. It is not easy to quantify the contribution of diet to cancer risk. However, the results of the present study suggested that nutritional factors do play a role.

Assessment of status of salt iodization in Delhi.

The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi was identified as an iodine deficiency endemic area in 1980. The government of NCT of Delhi banned the sale of non-iodised salt since 1989. The present study was aimed to estimate the iodine content of salt consumed in the households of the state. Thirty clusters were selected using population proportionate to size cluster sampling procedure. In each identified cluster one primary school was randomly selected. In each school, 60 salt samples were collected from an equal number of school children. The iodine content of a total of 1854 salt samples collected was analyzed using the standard iodometric titration method. Forty one per cent of families consumed salt with an iodine content of less than 15 ppm. Salt with nil iodine content was consumed only by 1.4% of the beneficiaries which indicated successful implementation of universal salt iodization programme in the state.

Dr. P. C. Sen Memorial Award Paper. Status of salt iodisation and iodine deficiency in selected districts of different states of India.

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) is a major public health problem. Surveys conducted by the National Goitre Survey team of the Directorate General of Health Services during the past three decades have revealed a high prevalence of endemic goitre in different states. Out of a total of 267 districts surveyed till date, 226 have been reported to be endemic to iodine deficiency. A successful measure for the prevention of IDD is salt iodisation. The Salt department, Government of India has taken an intensive programme of production of iodised salt in the country. The production has increased from 1.5 lakh metric tonnes in 1984 to 40 lakh metric tonnes in 1996. To assess the impact of increased production of iodised salt on the availability of iodised salt at the beneficiary and trader level and also on the status of iodine deficiency, surveys were undertaken in selected districts of 10 states and 2 union territories of the country. These studies have been presented and discussed here.

Iodine deficiency in district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh.

The state of Himachal Pradesh is a known iodine deficiency endemic region since the last 40 years. The state government is supplying iodised salt to the district since 1970. No recent survey has been conducted on the prevalence of iodine deficiency from the district Kinnaur which is located at an average altitude of 10,000 feet above sea level. A total of 1094 children in the age group of 6-10 years were included in the study and clinically examined. The total goitre prevalence of 6.1% was found in the subjects studied. Urine samples were collected from 226 children and were analysed using standard laboratory procedures. It was found that the percentage of children with < 2 mcg/dl, 2-4.9 mcg/dl, 5-9.9 mcg/dl and 10 and above mcg/dl of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) level was 1.3, 5.8, 10.6 and 82.3 respectively. A total of 242 salt samples were collected and analysed using the standard iodometric titration method. Results showed that almost 90% of the families were consuming salt with an iodine content of 15 ppm and more which is the stipulated level of iodisation of salt. The findings of the study indicate that iodine nutrition is in the transition phase from iodine deficient to iodine sufficient. Findings revealed a need for further strengthening the monitoring of the quality of salt being distributed in Kinnaur to achieve elimination of iodine deficiency.

Assessment of iodine deficiency disorders using the 30 cluster approach in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

OBJECTIVE: Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) are a major public health problem in India. The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi is a known iodine deficiency endemic area. The Delhi Government banned the sale of non-iodised salt since 1989. The present study was conducted to assess the status of IDD after 7 years of salt iodisation programme in the state. DESIGN: Cross sectional. METHODOLOGY: The recent indicators recommended by the World Health Organization-United Nations Childrens Fund-International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (WHO-UNICEF-ICCIDD) were utilized for the assessment of IDD. A total of 30 clusters were selected using population proportionate to size cluster sampling procedure. In each identified cluster, one primary school was selected using random sampling. A total of 6911 school children in the age group of 8-10 years were included for the study. RESULTS: The total goiter prevalence rate was 8.6% while 2.1, 8.4, 17.6 and 71.9% of the children had urinary iodine excretion levels of < 2, 2-4.9, 5-9.9 and 10 and above mcg/dl, respectively. The median urinary iodine excretion was 17 mcg/dl. Of the 1854 salt samples analyzed, salt with a nil iodine content was consumed only by 1.4% of the beneficiaries. Forty one per cent of families consumed salt with an iodine content of less than 15 ppm. CONCLUSION: IDD continues to be a public-health problem in the NCT of Delhi. There is a need of strengthening the existing monitoring system for the quality of iodised salt.