No health risk from iodine, authorities say

Iodized salt does not cause thyroid cancer, which has become more common in China in recent years, health authorities announced on Monday, ahead of China's Iodine Deficiency Sickness Prevention Day that falls on May 15.

China's top health authority said on Monday that consuming iodized salt is still necessary in most parts of China to prevent any diseases related to iodine-deficiency, even though such diseases have been largely contained in China.

"There is no scientific evidence to show that the increasing occurrence of thyroid diseases reported in recent years is directly related to consuming iodized salt," the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement on Monday.