A comparative assessment of Goan natural solar salt and its adequacy in iodine content and nutritive value

Abstract

Salt production has been a traditional occupation in Goa. Goa has been exporting salt to several African and Arabian countries during the post-medieval period and presently, has only sixteen active salterns. This salt is consumed as well as used for various commercial purposes by the local Goan population. However, today a myth exists that our natural salt is devoid of iodine. Hence a majority of the local communities of Goa are now shifting from their centuries old practice of using natural salt to refined salt available in the markets. Therefore, inorder to probe the contentions of this myth we have sampled salt from five solar salterns in different localities of North of Goa viz. Ribandar, Batim in Tiswadi; Agarwaddo in Pernem, Nerul and Arpora in Bardez taluka for a comparative study of iodine and bacterial load. SEM-EDS studies on salt quality show the presence of various trace elements. The iodine content and the stability of natural salt is comparable to the commercial brands of refined salts available in the market. Most importantly, bacterial pathogens have been below detectable limits. We, therefore, infer that salts produced from the solar salterns of Goa, besides including various micronutrients is sufficient in iodine content. Of all the samples studied, Arpora salt is comparatively of the best quality.