Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan is the only country, which has pink colored salt having highest export value while rest of the regions having rock salt deposits have only white or greyish white rock salt and the color pink is the result of various minerals naturally found in pink salt including iron which plays an important role in the eradication of iron deficiency a major health issue around the globe, this was stated by former President, Lasbela Chamber of Commerce ad Industry, Ismail Suttar as keynote speaker.

The World Salt Conference has been held periodically since 1962 and represents an international gathering of salt producers, researchers, journalists, business leaders and academics from all regions of the globe. It is the most comprehensive and important meeting on the subject of salt. The 2018 10th World Salt Symposium has been hosted by the Salt Institute in collaboration with the EU Salt,(Europe), the China Salt Association (China) and Hub Salt (Pakistan).

He said that Pakistan has big potential in export market worth billions of dollars.

The symposium has been attended by some 540 attendees from over 40 countries, which was held in Park City, Utah and concluded with some 70 important papers on various subjects covering salt from all angles including production processes and the myths of low sodium diets were discussed and debated in detail. Four of the world’s top scientists on cardiovascular health outcomes gathered in Park city Utah for a frank discussion on salt and health. They concluded that there is a dire need for large randomized controlled trials on the impact of salt on health outcomes before any population wide sodium reduction recommendation can be made. Held today at the at the 2018 World Salt Symposium, the panel included Dr. Michael H. Alderman, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Andrew Mente PhD, MA, McMaster University, David A. McCarron, MD, FACP, FAHA, University of California, Davis, and Professor Jan A. Staessen, MD, PhD, University of Leuven.

“Unfortunately, there is a widespread practice of low-sodium diets in assisted living facilities,” said Satin, a molecular biologist and former United Nations executive. “An extended period of low-sodium diets inevitably leads to chronic, mostly asymptomatic,hyponatremia. However, asymptomatic hyponatremia is a misnomer, presenting symptoms such as gait disorders, decreased reflex time, mimicking the effects of alcoholic excess, increased risk of bone fractures in ambulatory patients and loss of cognition,” he added.

Dr. Michael Alderman, editor of the American Journal of Hypertension added, “Sodium consumption around the globe has a mean of about 3,600mg/day, and a range from 2,600 – 5,000mg/day. This mid-range describes about 90 percent of the world’s population. More than 30 studies, with more than 400,000 participants, have established a “U” or “J” shaped association of sodium intake to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Optimal survival is realized by those whose intake is between 2,800 and 5,000mg/day. Specifically, there is no evidence of a superior health outcome at intakes less than 2,000mg/day compared with those in the usual range.”

Ismail Suttar CEO of Hub Salt while chairing the session on salt and health informed the audience that how Hub Salt kept the name of Himalayan salt in 1986 which was not known to the world at that time but the name kept then has been slowly and gradually gaining popularity over the years and today Pakistan is known in the world of salt by Pik Himalayan Rock Salt. Suttar said he feels very happy that he has given a name to one of the products way back in 1986 and today after 30 years the product is generically known by Himalayan salt and is associated by Pakistan.

The Salt symposium concluded with the resolve by the host committee that the next symposium will be held in 5 years as against the recent practice of 9 years since there are a lot of advancements taking place globally which needs to be reported earlier than 9 years.

Published in Daily Times, June 29^th 2018.