Fluoride content in table salt distributed in Mexico City, Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze table salt available in Mexico City's market to identify the fluoride concentrations and to compare these with the Mexican regulations.


METHODS
We analyzed 44 different brands of table salt. All samples were purchased at random in different stores, supermarkets, and groceries from Mexico City's metropolitan area and analyzed in triplicate in three different laboratories (nine determinations per sample) with an Orion 720 A potentiometer and an Orion 9609 BN ion-specific electrode.


RESULTS
Fluoride concentration in the samples varied from 0 ppm to 485 ppm. It was found that fluoride concentration varied widely among the analyzed brands. Also, we found that fluoride concentration in 92 percent of the analyzed samples did not match with that printed on the label. Only 6.8 percent of the analyzed samples contained fluoride concentrations that meet Mexican and WHO regulations.


CONCLUSIONS
The broad variation in the analyzed samples suggests that Mexican Public Health authorities must implement more stringent regulation guidelines and procedures for controlling the distribution of salt and its fluoride concentration for human consumption.
Hernández-Guerrero
Juan Carlos
JC
Laboratorio de Inmunología, DEPeI, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Institutos s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F.C.P 04510, México. jcarlosh@servidor.unam.mx
de la Fuente-Hernández
Javier
J
Jiménez-Farfán
Maria Dolores
MD
Ledesma-Montes
Constantino
C
Castañeda-Castaneira
Enrique
E
Molina-Frechero
Nelly
N
Jacinto-Alemán
Luís Fernando
LF
Juárez-Lopez
Lilia Adriana
LA
Moreno-Altamirano
Alejandra
A
D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry*; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000032:analysis*
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D005459:Fluorides