http://scalpel.stanford.edu/articles/Vasopressin%20in%20shock.pdf

Vasopressin increases cortisol, which could be very
relevant in patients with septic shock, because cortisol
levels may not be adequate. Pharmacologic
doses of vasopressin in animals and man induce a
prompt rise in plasma cortisol levels.113 In man,
adrenocortical activation occurs directly via vasopressin
stimulation of ACTH release.114 This effect is
likely mediated through NO and cyclic guanosine
monophosphate via the V3 receptor.115 Subsets of
patients in septic shock have “relative adrenal insufficiency”
that independently predicts mortality.116
This raises the interesting speculation that low blood
levels of vasopressin in humans may play a role in the
adrenal insufficiency of the critically ill.

Been looking in depth at this lately. [link]

According to what I've read, which I haven't had a chance to write up as yet...only a few notes (ongoing saga.. not advised)
MOST of the world is not sufficient in iodine.. just exclude the US and Canada who heavily iodize their salt adding to processed foods!

Quite a lot of the world..Australia (SE especially and around Canberra, but Sydney too[link1, fulltext ] in the western suburbs in a study) is short on iodine and studies are showing thyroid deficiency symptoms amongst children as well as increased goitre amongst popn

I've just (a few months ago) increased my iodine intake and am at present looking into seaweeds/kelp..these provide bromine as well, and perhaps a more "balanced" wholefood iodine supplementation.

Part of the problem seems to be(unproven..and just my opinion) the fluoridation of water with the fluorine replacing iodine maybe.. leading to fluoroacetate problems in mitochondria, as well as competition where iodine is needed. bit of confirmation

I realise now I'm LOW on iodine, and do feel better when beginning to take some.. but ..like thyroid hormones.. it should be increased(even an iodised salt) gradually and started LOW(probably no more than 50mcg/day).. maybe especially if you have been exposed to a lot of fluoridated water in your life, but also if you have any thryoid nodules or autoimmune problems.

I do feel the "advice" given sometimes to those who may be experiencing hypothryoidism, about avoiding iodine can be harmful for some...fine is you live in the US.. but I don't mean go and take a huge dose either!

The US salt has iodine added at over 70mg/kg (around 77mg/kg appears common?). This level does cause problems!too high!

Europe is 10 to 25 mg/kg in its iodised salt...and the Baleine iodized salt contains Mg CO3 as a anti-caking agent.. NOT aluminium silicates as Australian iodized table salt(or any table salt in Oz) does..sigh

It's something I've been working on trying to enlighten the "salt" companies.

Australia is regulated at 25-65 mg/kg.. but Saxa add an average amount of 40mg/kg. Problem here is they also add aluminium silicates to Oz table salt(E554)! In Europe it looks like Magnesium carbonate(E504).
IN Oz,if you use the sea salt with added KIO3 with a grinder you avoid the anti-caking agent..but its rather slow for cooking and not great with arthritis either!Also problem with grinders in that you get too large an amount of salt for my taste at least.
UPDATE: After trying 4 different brands of cheaper grinders I bought a Silit ceramic grinde , which I'm now using for pepper, and it grinds fine!! Waiting for next DJ specials to buy some more!Should be able to use for salt also.

(BTW, the huge majority of salt is sea salt..it just means they got it out of the sea. Other kinds are lake salt, or mined salt..but mined salt has to be rare with labour costs these days, and plntly in the ocean or lying on the surface in salt lakes!)
Sea salt contains very little iodine unless supplemented.

So I guess I'm saying don't quote the US .. its different all over the world and the regulations are different. NO processed foods in Australia use iodized salt in any form! There used to be milk in bottles and the bottles/ dairy processing equipment were cleaned with iodine, which used to "save" the population.. this no longer happens. They now use chlorine instead I think. (at least in Australia)

Personally I'd have preferred to try iodine (low level in salt for starters).. 50 mcg/day, than start on thryoid meds. It MAY have worked. I did have antibodies, and I do realise that at the level of supplementation of salt in the US/Canada the iodised salt may be increasing antibodies.. but NOT the level in Europe in my opinion.
This link seems to say that 150mcg/day is fine for those with a "normal' thyroid , but in those with nodules etc or autoimmune..start with 50mcg/day I'd guess and work up to 100mcg/day .. over 2years!!
see pp 17 2nd last paragraph!.. just from adding iodized salt at 30mg/kg or so..
Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of Iodine

then again, if the popn has never experience iodine deficieny eg Japan, much higher levels are tolerated, although this is NOT in the form of iodized salt but in seaweed, and I just bet that the whole food balance with the bromide etc has a lot to do with it, besides being "used" to the high iodine levels:-). Note this iodine is in the form of KELP though.. not iodized salt or an iodine supp added to bread etc. Kelp may be better tolerated?

I did not develop multinodular goitre until after I started on thryoid meds and stopped all iodine in salt, supps, kelp, seaweed etc. It could be the lowered iodine levels.. or it could be the thryoid horomones.. or it could be autoimmune .. or it could be...
But I have cysts in breasts too(also developed after stopped all iodine supps)..and that also could be low iodine. As far as I'm aware the max I took was around 150mcg/day KI as a teenager in a multi.
I also used to take kelp tablets.. but never at the same time as my multi that had iodine in it!
I used to wonder why some supps I felt better on than others.. one common factor was they all had iodine from kelp.. the others all had iodine as KI (maybe as KIO3?).. kelp is better I think .. but still only been on a couple of months..so again too early to say.

IMO, it's best to remedy the actual cause..which MAY be a low iodine level, than just treat the symptom, borderline hypothyroidism. Of course it may not be low iodine,it may be the antibodies attacking, but its worth a try first!) Replacing the low levels of iodine may also help reduce breast cysts and ovarian cysts ..I'm hoping X (finger's crossed)

--------------------

Iodine table salt level increased in Switzerland
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/82/2/388
Background: Many industrialized countries struggle to maintain adequate iodine intake because of changes in dietary habits and the food supply. In Switzerland, because of declining iodine intakes in children and pregnant women, the iodine concentration in table salt was increased from 15 to 20 mg/kg
Conclusions: A 25% increase in iodine concentration in iodized table salt markedly improved iodine status in Switzerland, which showed the value of monitoring and adjusting iodine concentrations in national salt programs. The frequency of newborn thyrotropin concentrations >5 mU/L appears to be a sensitive indicator of iodine nutrition during pregnancy

Design: In 1999 and 2004, a 3-stage probability proportionate-to-size cluster sampling was done to obtain a representative national sample of primary schoolchildren and pregnant women. Urine and household salt were collected for iodine measurement. The frequency of elevated thyrotropin concentrations found in the newborn screening program was evaluated before and after the increase
Results: In 1999, median urinary iodine (UI) concentrations among children (n = 610) and pregnant women (n = 511) were 115 µg/L (range: 5–413 µg/L) and 138 µg/L (range: 5–1881 µg/L), respectively, which indicated marginal iodine status. In 2004, median UI concentrations among children (n = 386) and pregnant women (n = 279) were 141 µg/L (range: 0–516 µg/L) and 249 µg/L (range: 8–995 µg/L), respectively. Newborn thyrotropin concentrations >5 mU/L decreased from 2.9% in 1992–1998 (n = 259 035) to 1.7% in 1999–2004 (n = 218 665)

they got the new-born rate for potential thyroid problems down from about 3% to about 2% (ie TSH > 5mU/L). I guess there will always be some mother's who avoid added table salt. I also guess Switzerland doesn't add iodine to salt used in processed foods?

-----------------------
the following 2 stage introduction of iodine to salt is safer(regarding eefects on women aged 40-60 especially who are been iodine depleted thru life), but they are still using KI?
Goiter prevalence and urinary iodine concentration in slovenian adolescents.

Kotnik P, Sirca Campa A, Zupancic M, Stimec M, Smole K, Mis NF, Battelino T, Krzisnik C.

Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Children's Hospital, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Context: Slovenian school-age children are, as are more than half of European school-age children, still considered to be iodine deficient. In 1999, supplementation of salt was increased from 10 to 25 mg of KI/kg of salt. Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the success of this intervention. Design and Patients: Twelve hundred sixty-four girls (mean age +/- SD: 15.7 +/- 0.6 years) and 1200 boys (15.8 +/- 0.8 years) representing 10% of all 15-year-old Slovenian adolescents were studied. Thyroid size was estimated by clinical examination in all subjects and by ultrasound when enlarged thyroid was suspected. Thyroid volume was also determined by ultrasound in 108 random iodine-sufficient adolescents. In addition, urinary iodine concentration was determined in all subjects. Results: Enlarged thyroid was determined by clinical examination and ultrasound in 0.9% of all subjects. In randomly selected iodine-sufficient subjects, enlarged thyroid was determined in 4.6%. Median urinary iodine concentration for the population was 140 microg/L. In all regions it was greater than or equal to 100 microg/L. Values less than 50 microg/L were determined in 2.5% of all subjects. Conclusions: Slovenian adolescents are iodine sufficient and the prevalence of goiter is low, indicating that increased KI supplementation of salt in 1999 was successful
----------------------------------------------------
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1497255.htm#transcript
The Man Who Saved a Million Brains

"Many Tibetans are suspicious of the iodised salt, as harvesting and trading raw salt has been part of their culture for centuries. "

It does cut out the trade in salt which is a living for some..
the traders are now spreading rumours about the iodised salt and undercut the price.
One rumour about the iodized salt was "I have heard that this salt will stop my animals having babies."
But I do wonder if the level of iodine is too high for people that had previous very low levels? OR is it the form of the iodine, ie not added as an organic form.. It does make more sense to me that iodine/iodide in the form of an iodised oil say rubbed onto skin would produce less symptoms.. better still and optimal , just eating foods grown in a higher iodised soil!, or seafood (if they are NOT contaminated with heavy metals or kelp(similar problems maybe)? .. eg. add iodine (and selenium) to the soil instead of the salt!.. just my thoughts at present

---------------------------

UPDATE .
When I tried an increased level of iodized salt my thyroid felt "irritated" by it.
The kelp has NO effect on my thyroid(but then I'm only using a strip(paper-thin) about 1.5 inches long. I started out with a tiny piece and gradually increased. i can just "feel" 1.5inches. I'm guessing it's the balance in kelp.. the bromide mainly I suspect?.. but also the lithium etc. Maybe I'm just hopeful.

I added B1 and kelp and cut back by about 1/3 on my throid meds.

I am still on THYROID(Armour similar) and T4.. but reduced both proportionally..added in B1...but maybe what did it was adding in kelp, I started on kelp at tinsy bit per day and now I 'm up to 1.5 inches per day. (built up over months)
My FT4 went up from a range of 10-13(mostly 10) to 17..and its NEVER been that high. It was 16 before meds ..then dropped to 13 or below.

my Ft3 has dropped slightly.. but about 4.x still.. I like it about 4.7 to 5.0.. that's without any meds.

My TSh went down too(3.5 to 1.x?).. despite the drop in thyroid meds.

Kelp could put your TSH back up though if you also reduce your thyroid meds if you feel hyper. I felt hyper..especially when started the B1. Even now if I inject B1 , I can't take any thryoid meds that day..heart races.

I think I prefer adding in kelp..but take it very gradually the 1st 2 years.I'm hopeful in years it will fix up my multinodular goitre too.. which I developed since being on thyroid meds and off all iodine.
Lack of iodine is one cause of multinodular goitre, but adding iodine back at too high a rate can cause death too in females around 50.. and too high is the amount in salt or bread... very low.. that's why I'm trying the kelp route

If you try the kelp .. very very gradually. I have written something on kelp.. . I did find where I could buy some fairly clean kelp in oz.. but I just decided to pick up the same kelp myself. Kelp holds heavy metals etc.. so its good to find a clean grown source.. I didn't like the sound of Brittany..or China..or unknown..

Below are notes of the ongoing saga of my attempt to find a good iodized salt to use
Thanks Bob for all your help with this

There's a school of thought that says when one's immune system is overwhelmed by iodized products, autoimmune thyroid diseases are triggered. In Europe, people have better access to fresh food even having locally produced varying goods! and rarely eat processed foods. McDonalds, 5 Pizza shops, KentuckyFried, 3 Chinese takeaways etc in one suburb is not typical. Strange isn't it!

French sea salt was highly spoken of by some, Baleine Sea Salt. It's iodised from France..see **)
http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_gourmet_reference.asp#FrenchSalt some salts from around the world

http://www.sph.emory.edu/PAMM/SALT2000/aquaron.pdf

Some parts of Europe are very low on iodine, like the Swiss Alps.
-------------------------------

from CRC pp 718
Iodine — (Gr. iodes, violet), I; at. wt. 126.90447(3); at. no. 53; m.p. 113.7°C; b.p. 184.4°C; tc 546°C; density of the gas 11.27 g/l; sp. gr. solid
4.93 (20°C); valence 1, 3, 5, or 7. Discovered by Courtois in 1811. Iodine, a halogen, occurs sparingly in the form of iodides in sea water from which
it is assimilated by seaweeds, in Chilean saltpeter and nitrate-bearing earth, known as caliche in brines from old sea deposits, and in brackish waters
from oil and salt wells. Ultrapure iodine can be obtained from the reaction of potassium iodide with copper sulfate. Several other methods of isolating
the element are known. Iodine is a bluish-black, lustrous solid, volatilizing at ordinary temperatures into a blue-violet gas with an irritating odor; it forms compounds with many elements, but is less active than the other halogens, which displace it from iodides. Iodine exhibits some metallic-like properties. It dissolves readily in chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, or carbon disulfide to form beautiful purple solutions. It is only slightly soluble
in water. Iodine compounds are important in organic chemistry and very useful in medicine. Forty two isotopes and isomers are recognized. Only one
stable isotope, 127I is found in nature. The artificial radioisotope 131I, with a half-life of 8 days, has been used in treating the thyroid gland. The most
common compounds are the iodides of sodium and potassium (KI) and the iodates (KIO3). Lack of iodine is the cause of goiter. Iodides, and thyroxin
which contains iodine, are used internally in medicine, and a solution of KI and iodine in alcohol is used for external wounds. Potassium iodide finds
use in photography. The deep blue color with starch solution is characteristic of the free element. Care should be taken in handling and using iodine,
as contact with the skin can cause lesions; iodine vapor is intensely irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes. Elemental iodine costs about 25 to
75¢/g depending on purity and quantity.

---------------
http://www.saltinstitute.org/pubstat/fsanz.html
-------------------------

http://www.ioteq.com/technology_iodine.cfm
In Canada and the United States, iodized salt contains 100 ppm (parts per million, same as 100 mcg/gram) as potassium iodide (equals 77 ppm as iodide), so two grams of salt contains approximately the daily recommended amount of 150 mcg iodine. In the United States, you can buy salt that is either iodized or not iodized, and the price is the same; about 50% of all the salt sold in the U.S. is iodized. In Canada, all table salt is iodized. Most other countries add from 10 to 40 mcg iodine per gram of salt (10-40 ppm). Daily salt intake varies greatly in different parts of the world, ranging from two to five grams in many western countries to 20 grams in some others. An average figure may be 10 grams per day.
-----------------------------------

Iodine Deficiency in Australian Children
Li M, Eastman CJ, Waite KV, Ma G, Zacharin MR, Topliss DJ, Harding PE, Walsh JP, Ward LC, Mortimer RH, Mackenzie EJ, Byth K, Doyle Z., Are Australian children iodine deficient? Results of the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study, Med J Aust. 2006 Feb 20;184(4):165-9.

A national study of Australian schoolchildren aged 8-10 years has found that there is an inadequate iodine intake in the Australian population, leading to a call for mandatory iodization of all edible salt in Australia. Another finding of the study by University of Sydney experts was a marginal increase in thyroid volumes in Australian schoolchildren when compared to international data from iodine sufficient countries. The results of the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study are reported in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia by Professor Creswell J Eastman, Chairman of the Australian Centre for Control of Iodine Deficiency Diseases and ICCIDD Regional Coordinator for Asia and Pacific, Dr Mu Li, a senior researcher of the Centre and Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney and their colleagues. Between July 2003 and December 2004, 1709 students from 88 schools in mainland Australia were surveyed to document the population iodine nutritional status in Australian schoolchildren. Dr Li says the decline in iodine intake in Australia is due to two major factors - the change from iodine-containing sanitisers in the dairy industry to chlorine-containing or other acid-based sanitisers; and the low consumption of iodized salt - with the latter the easiest to remedy. The mainland children as a group are borderline iodine deficient, but there are significant and unexpected variations across the continent. Western Australian and Queensland children are iodine replete and Victorian and NSW children are mildly iodine deficient, with the differences linked to variations in ingestion of iodised salt, in regional milk iodine content, and drinking water iodine levels. Although the study showed an increase in thyroid volumes compared with international data, but it doesn’t conclude that iodine deficiency is causing endemic goitre in Australia. It is alarming that many Australian schoolchildren have mild iodine deficiency and no action has been taken by public health authorities to increase iodine intake in our population.
-------------------------------

New Guinea.. low on iodine
http://indorgs.virginia.edu/iccidd/mi/idd_129.htm

-----------------

http://www.saltinstitute.org/iodine-seasalt.html

iodine is sea salt compared to iodized salt
-------------------

http://www.saltinstitute.org/37.html

Several countries, including France, Mexico and Switzerland, also add fluoride to table salt to prevent dental caries.

~x(
-----------------------------
** Baleine Sea Salt is iodised (from France)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000121AZQ/qid=1146799379/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/102-9122724-4560133?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=3580501&s=gourmet-food&v=glance

just magnesium carbonate as anti-caking agent..(2%)

from pack, made in Montpellier Cedex, Aigue Mortes
10-15mg/kg as Iodine ions

It's a blue shaker
-------------------------------

http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1999/abstracts/1999-v14n03-p128.shtml
lack of iodine !

http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1999/pdf/1999-v14n03-p128.pdf (full version).
I've talked a lot of the dopamine connection before(with kara/raybakes on alter..need to find links), I knew it was connected with thyroid(ie being slightly low thyroid hormones causes the problems)..and it figures iodine fits in there!(re the thyroid), and perhaps other independant pathways? I also knew of the glutamate connection this article mentions.
-----------------------------------

In Oz I can't get a good iodized sea salt that is a fine salt (shakeable rather than grindable).
The choice was the lumpy sea salt (you put it in grinders but it still comes out as overlarge particles for my taste, plus you have to grind it.. difficult with a bit of arthritis)
OR
a iodized salt in a shaker.. BUT with aluminium added!!!This was the only iodized alt I could get until recently

Saxa Iodized Salt ..in a green plastic shaker.
It contains (from ingredient list)
Salt
Anti-caking agent (554)Potassium Iodide (KI) OR Iodate (KIO3)

Looking up 554 in the Food Additive codes (link can be found on my webpage geocities.com/jan_narelle_tea)
554 = Sodium aluminium silicate , so aluminium , and A readily available form for your brain too..possibly great for encouraging the development of Alzheimer's if your genes are that way inclined..and mine are :-)

Now we have a new iodized sea salt.. but its still the large chunky sea salt.. to use with a grinder, and although the grinder it comes with does grind a little finer than my previous grinders , it's still waaay too large particle size for my taste.. I hate big lumps of salts

Saxa Iodized Sea Salt Grinders (all natural ingredients).. whatever that means. It says "Packed in Italy" .. why??
and also says "If you want to know more please contact us on
Salpak Pty Ltd CUSTOMER SERVICES TOLL FREE 1800 656 115 or
consumer@cerebus.com.au

I phoned Cerebus at the above no, and was told they level of iodine in the iodized table salt was 2.5mg/100g to 4mg/100g... so this is 25mg/kg to 40mg/kg , or 25-40 ppm :-)

Also in Oz, processed food use uniodized salt (and not sea salt, although some have started to use sea salt, but without any added iodate).

Pity about the bit "NON REFILLABLE TO ENSURE FRESHNESS" comment on the label, as it's the best salt grinder I've used so far, and you can buy bags of salt to refill them with.. sigh.
I KNOW salt doesn't need to be kept fresh.. its' one thing that doesn't go off? Do you think they think their consumers lack intelligence?
--------------
Other salts I've bought

1. Diet-Rite LITE SALT
contains
Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride,anti_caking Agent 504 &/or 554). This provides a baklance of K+ and Na+ ions for some who may be low in K+, but you still are getting that aluminium!!
504 is magnesium carbonate
554 is Sodium aluminium silicate
It also doen't use sea salt, although most our salt does come from the sea, and I suspeect is very similar to sea salt.
They have been writing on the new pkts of "normal" salt that it is extracted from the sea...I must get exact wording here...
but they continue to add aluminium.

So at present i still can't get a non lumpy form of iodized sea salt.
You can also buy sea salt flakes as well as small and large lumps.(they call it fine and coarse).. bbut its not fine as in salt that you get from a shaker.

They could even just add a few lumps of rice to a shaker!
That's what they do in the tropics, like Vanuatu or even Qld in summer..works well!
I guess in preparatio it wouldnt be homogenous so harder to prepare in large qtys , but it's easy to add a few grains of rice to a shaker anyway!..Why do we have to have this alumiunium??

sigh...
----------------------
update 12/05/06
Melissa from The Saxa company (Cerebus.. separated from the Eurpean company of same/similar name) just phoned me back. they really had checked out my request for a fine , already ground sea salt with added iodine and NO aluminium (554). They've confirmed I can't get that salt in Oz, and their supplier said magnesium carbonate (504) (which could be talc or magnesium carbonate silictes,according to my FoodChem subject material) is not permitted as an additive for salt in Austrlia!! Only the aluminium one!!
Apparently it is Food Stanadards australia that has made this decision, the TGA only handles drugs, so I'll have to check this out with FSA apparently.
Really weird.. aluminium is approved, Magnesium carbonate is not?
..... can I add some of em hair pulling out symbolds from yahoo here??
In the meantime coping with Saxa grinder of sea salt crystals with added iodine.. although slow with a bit of arthritis and also it doiesnt grind as fine as the already finely ground shaker salt.. so you get lumps!

Also Melissa said she checked out the levels of iodine in our salt. Its around a mean of 40mg/kg. The range permitted in Australia 25 to 60 ppm , and they aim for middle of range..which sounds great.
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Standard2102_Salt_v62.pdf
Above, the US/Canada is around 77. I'd heard our iodized salt levels were lower. From the autoimmune stuff , I assume 70 IS too high.
Europe looks like 10 to 15ppm(or mg/kg)? from the salt Bob uses?

They are going to refer my request for a iodized sea salt that doesn't need to be ground fom lumps to their marketing manager. I did suggest a "no added aluminium " would be a great marketing point. I also commented on how I prefer a finer salt than is possible with a grinder, and how with a slight arthritis in hands it's easier to use a shaker than a grinder.

Also NO processed gods in Oz use any iodized salt.. bu whether they have this aluminium added to the salt they use I have no idea, or any idea of how to find out!

now to phone Food Standards
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/aboutus/feedbackandcomplaint113.cfm
--------------------------
from http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Standard_1_3_1_Additives_Part_2_v85.pdf

12 SALTS AND CONDIMENTS
12.1 Salt and salt substitutes
12.1.1 Salt
Additives in Schedules 2,3 & 4
must not be added to salt unless
expressly permitted below
341 Calcium phosphates GMP
381 Ferric ammonium citrate GMP
504 Magnesium carbonates GMP
535 Sodium ferrocyanide 50 mg/kg total of sodium and
536 Potassium ferrocyanide 50 mg/kg potassium ferrocyanide
551 Silicon dioxide (amorphous) GMP
552 Calcium silicate GMP
554 Sodium aluminosilicate GMP
556 Calcium aluminium silicate GMP

from http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/fsc_1_3_1_Additives_Part_1_v78.pdf
2 General prohibition on the use of additives
Unless expressly permitted in this Standard, food additives must not be added to food.
3 Permitted use of additives
The additives listed by name or number in Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4 may be added to a food or class of food to perform technological functions provided that -
(a) the use complies with any restrictions on use listed in Schedule 1; and
(b) the proportion of the additive does not exceed the maximum level necessary to achieve one or more technological functions under conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
-----------------------------

Update 2

Peter, from Food Standards australia returned my phone call.
hea said that all those listed as above , both 504 and 554 are permitted as additives to salt.

.. so it looks like cerebus has not been told the truth re Food Standars Aust not prermitting 504 as an additive.

Peter was nice.
I asked him also about precessed food. to the best of my knowldedge none use iodized salt in
Australia, but he patiently explained to me that they could if they wished to.
I was concerend that in every piece of packaged or processed food I buy, the salt my conatin akuminium and I wouldn't know it, as the only listed ingredient on the label would be salt!
He confirmed this. He says it's unfortunate but it could be the case. It depends of course on where they decide to source their salt from.
The Food Sanadards say "if you have a compound ingredient.. like aluminium added to salt(E554), then you only have to list the compound ingredient if the actual ingredient (in this case salt) is over 5% of the product.
The reason this was done was to prevent the ingredient lists being pages long.
This means I(and all Aussies) could have been (probably have been )eating aluminium in all bought foods! Nice hey!

And I guess this also means that all those additives like E102(tartrazine) if they occur as additives to bits of the whole foods, don't have to be listed on the label either..as long as bit they are part of is less than 5% of the total finished product, sigh ??!!!
So the ingredient list is meaningless as far as the tiny amounts are concerned..except where a product is not solely from a mix of indivula ingredients... like never!.. most are courced as goods from other manufacturers?.. like salt would not usually be made from scratch., similarly chocolate etc..
If its less than 5% of total finished product only the whole food .. like salt .. or chocolate need be listed??
The reason this is doen is not only as the ingredient list would be too long to print, but also that consumers wouldn't bother reading the list if too long... but what about those additives where tiny amonts make a diff..and which may be additive from various ingredients!! sigh
rant finished

Peter also mentioned that it is time consuming but anyone can make an application (paid or unpaid).. I'd go for the unpaid one to Food Standards Australia, and the application form was available on their website on the LHS of the main page.
He said there was an SLR (or SCR,,can't read my notes!) officer on 02 6271 2280 to make an application proposal.. or an email address.
He also said there is a list of current propsals up their on the site too. .. not that they will all be acceped.. just aLL THE PROPOSALS.
He is also available to talk to about anything else of concern.. I don't like the idea of tartrzine etc maybe not being listed if he ingredient it was psrt of is less than 5% of finished product.. also SO2 (or sulfites or sulfates) I react badly to.
This probably explains why over the decades i've never been able to pinpoint some ractions in both myself and th kids down exactly!! You'd think the reaction was say similar to E102, look on the ingredient list and it wouldnt be there.... grrr

I also asked about bottled water not listing fluoride content..will update this later

http://www.cheethamsalt.com.au/
Street Address: 15A Davis Road, Wetherill Park, NSW, 2164, Australia
Postal Address: P.O. Box 7012, Wetherill Park, NSW, 2164, Australia
Telephone: 02 9725 5088
Facsimile: 02 9725 5014
Free Call 1800 424 777
E-mail Address nswsales@cheethamsalt.com.au

http://www.dampiersalt.com.au/tnpn002785/prod/dsl/dslhome.nsf
http://www.chemlink.com.au/salt.htm

http://www.lakecrystal.com.au/products.htm lake deborah salt.. the prodct I bought still looks like it has an undeclared anti-caking agent will phone

http://www.wasalt.com.au/Diet_rite.html I used this too for K for a while

http://www.wasalt.com.au/Superfine.html cooking salt .. NO aluminium. About 20 yrs ago I used to be able to buy a fine cooking salt with no alumiun..which is what I bought a lot of for cooking!.. it did cake, but smashed up and went into a fine powder very easily, even still in plastic bag!
http://www.wasalt.com.au/Table.html table salt..added aluminium

http://www.wasalt.com.au/Pot_chl.html KCl the additive for salt
this is a WA compnay, but typical of other ones in Oz

I'm in shock about that 5% rule. that makes all E codes added fairly useless really.. just get a subsidary to make "part" but less than 5%" of the final product with any nasty ingredients.. then combine an ya have all nattural oproduct with no additives!!
what a selling point!
people like me how were dumb enough to think the labels meant someting would read and buy!
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from Bob re aluminium silicates as additive to salt

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/81/4/897
just a quick follow-up on silicic acid and aluminate ~ silica seems to be beneficial wrt Alzheimers Disease

wonder if that's why they call the free flowing agent " sodium silico aluminate "?? and not aluminosilicate (clay)?

There is considerable experimental evidence in support of the role of aluminum in the formation of senile plaques. Soluble ß-amyloid peptides adopt an -helix conformation: the presence of aluminum in physiologic concentrations may alter the conformation of these peptides into ß-pleated sheets and induce aggregation of ß-amyloid protein (31-33). Induction of the formation of hydroxyaluminosilicate complexes, by the addition of silicic acid, could prevent the harmful effects of aluminum that have been observed in AD lesions (34) and could therefore open an interesting new therapeutic pathway.

In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that high silica concentrations in drinking water may protect against impairment of cognitive function. However, further studies are necessary to not only confirm these results but to also clarify the causal role of aluminum in AD.

thanks Bob
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http://www.olssons.com.au/saltproducts/saltproducts.html
I have a 2kg 9old) plastic bag of their cooking salt. It is caked so musnt contain any anti-caking agent.
Looks like table salt contains 554, anti-caking agent, and SOMe cooking salts don't too. I also have a cooking salt that is NOt caking.
the amount of 554 in the table salt is 1%. (high amount of aluminium!!)
I just phoned Olsson's and they confirmed..all table salt (including their iodized table salt) contains 554 .. the website is wrong here.
Also their website says the pink colour is from beta carotene.. but thinks beta carotene is the name of a small organism :-))
http://www.olssons.com.au/tour.swf LOL

I suggested 504, and consumers beng prepared to pay more for a aluminium free salt)...suggestion passed on!

Or an iodized cooking salt.. all cooking salt..sets rock hard and has NO free flowing agent.. but it fine and crushed to powder under a rolling pin easily enough .. just it doesn't contain any iodine..
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As Australia IS one he worlds largest producers of salt and exports to most countries, this effects more than Aussies
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Monday 22th May 2006
Phone call returned from makers of "Ancient SEA SALT" , "Crystal co" (Diet Rite Foods).
He said they just repackage the salt.. don't produce it, but its the Flossy Curing Salt www.wasalt.com.au/Flossy.html on this website www.wasalt.com.au/saltprod.html
He did mention they are consider now adding an iodized salt, but had no idea if it woud contain the aluminium silicates(554)

He said to find out what is in the salt contact wasalt
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Now they've think that sodium benzoate, a preservative used in softdrinks (211) ,and Vitamin C which is also added to some soft drinks, may react when together to form benzene. Benzene is toxic.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp

I was just looking at some of our Australian soft drinks.
http://www.bundaberg-brew.com.au/index.html
Bundaberg Ginger Beer, a favourite of mine says
"naturally Brewed to be better" so I thought it was safe.

but reading the ingredients..
water, cane sugar,ginger root, flavours, citric acid, yeast, preservatives (211,202), Vitamin C

I phoned the company and they said someone else had phoned them on this matter 2 weeks ago, about when I first heard of it
They do use a natural brewing method.. for instance they use cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup(HFCS) . HFCS is that horrible super sweet sickly taste you get in some US softdrinks(try US Coke..it's different to Oz coke in formulation.. a sickly sweet flavour , at least according to some Aussie taste buds).
I'd been wondering why soft drinks are tasting sooo over sickly sweet these days!
Another trick is to use this "INVERT" sugar.. that's cane sugar split into glucose and fructose.. (the two monosaccarides in the cane sugar). Split up they are a lo-ot sweeter! So for some inexplicable reason they assume we all LOVE this sickly sweet taste?
The other alternative is artificial sweetners which are also sickly sweet plus have some bad side effects for many people. No wonder most people prefer beer or wine or even WATER these days!!

Anyway I liked this Bundaberg Ginger beer as it used real cane sugar so didn't have that sickly sweet taste and yet wasn't alcoholic.. and I thought it was a more natural, healthier alternative as no food chemists had interfered with the mix by adding artificial stuff to it.
But apparently Australian regulations (for safety, to stop anyone getting sick if the brew went off) say they have to add preseravtives.. hence while it IS naturally brewed they still add in a little sodium benzoate(211) and Vitamin C .
http://nac.allergyforum.com/additives/preservatives200-290.htm

Hopefuly it is a lower level than in some other soft drinks.???
I've heard the level in soft drinks, even those containing these 2 ingredients may vary markedly, but maybe it's just someone's thought based on VitC being a good chelator?
I think Health depts in countries around the world are just beginning to look at softdrinks to determine what the level of benzene may be, if any? Or maybe it's just a story?.. or a latest scare and will prove to be nothing?

UPDATE
here's some links which seem to say it's not a problem?? Still maybe it's something to be aware of, I don't know..
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/benzltr.html
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=65840-soft-drinks-fda-benzene
and another exposing the problem
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976743668
this one looks interesting..
http://www.ewg.org/issues/toxics/20060404/index.php

for a link to Food additives see
http://geocities.com/jan_narelle_tea/