The Export Development Council (EDC)- Networking Committee on Legislative Advocacy and Monitoring is studying the proposed review of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 8172 or An Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN Law) enacted in 1995.
ASIN Law requires all producers and manufacturers of food-grade salt to iodize the salt that they produce, manufacture, import, trade or distribute.
All food manufacturer processors using food-grade salt are also required to use iodized salt in the processing of their products.
The local salt industry is finding it hard to compete with the global market of salt and food products with salt due to the restriction for salt producers to offer a wide array of different salt types even in the domestic market.
ASIN Law is also seen to limit innovations on the type of salt that will fit the needs of a product as well as leads to the loss of some nutrients during processing. With this, small local salt farmers are unable to compete with large salt producers especially in the global market.
It is further noted that the intent of the law is for local consumption only and that export products should not be covered by the law.
The National Nutrition Council informed the body that the revision of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the said law is on-going and this will guide the Technical Working Group (TWG) created by EDC to further address what may be done to amend the said law.
The Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) formerly Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP) is the export trade promotion agency of the Department of Trade and Industry-Trade and Investment Promotions Group (DTI-TIPG).
DTI currently chairs the Export Development Council of the Philippines.
For more information on the services of the DTI, log-on to http://www.dti.gov.ph
