Clarification regarding salt for human consumption
As Icelandic food producers have never used de-icing salt in their food products, there is absolutely no foundation for statements in international media that food producers in Iceland have been using such salt for several years. The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture and the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) would like to clarify that only certified food-grade salt is to be used in all consumer food products in Iceland for both local and international markets.
During regular inspections at certain food processing companies MAST inspectors recently discovered that pure refined industrial salt from Akzo Nobel in Denmark was being used instead of certified food salt. MAST took immediate action and contacted the local distributor.
Subsequently the use of industrial salt has been discontinued in all food production and this salt will not be used for future food production.
The pure refined industrial salt in question is manufactured by its producer strictly according to ISO quality management systems (e.g. ISO 9001), while its food-grade salt is produced according to the same quality standards plus ISO 22000 and HACCP. Both types of products are securely stored in completely sealed wind- and rain-proofed silos and packaged in the same secure manner. The composition and purity of the refined industrial salt is also within the requirements established by the Codex Standard for food-grade salt (CX STAN 150-1985).
Since MAST concluded that the use of the industrial salt posed no immediate or evident risk to human consumption and health, a decision was taken not to recall the remaining stock of salt from the companies in question. Nevertheless, the local distributor stopped importing the product immediately. The local distributor was also instructed to inform all its customers that the pure refined industrial salt was not food-grade certified and to guarantee that all salt sold for food production from now on would be certified food-grade salt.
The Ministry and the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority would like to underline that the salt in question was not used by the Icelandic seafood companies processing salted cod.
Press Release from the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture of Iceland