Is iodized salt really bad?

[olikli]

Currently I am draining the curds for a St. Marcellin. Stupid me has used iodised salt by mistake even though its use is discouraged. Supposedly the iodine will inhibit microbial action. I have done a little Google research if I should give up on this batch and came across a Swiss government report about the use of salt in cheese making

http://www.agroscope.admin.ch/publikationen/einzelpublikation/index.html?lang=en&aid=12682&pid=29161&vmode=fancy

In this document it is stated that in 1994 "90% of cheese dairies used iodised cooking salt." It also says "The use of cooking salt with added iodine and fluorine in
the production of cheese is no longer recommended due to legal requirements in a number of export countries". Several countries - including France - ban the use of iodised salt in cheese because of the risk of overexposure to iodine. Nowhere it is mentioned that using iodised salt has detrimental effects on cheese quality.

Another document from 1998 (only in German - http://www.agroscope.admin.ch/publikationen/einzelpublikation/index.html?pubdownload=NHzLpZeg7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1acy4Zn4Z2rZpnG3s2Rodeln6h1dYF5e3uNn,aknp6V2tTIjKbXoKimjZuVn5uriKfo) references older studies that did not find any detrimental effect on iodized salt on cultures used in cheese.

So I am wondernig now if the "don't use iodized salt for cheese making" dogma is actually valid. I will see how my cheese will turn out. But are there any studies that support this claim?

[awakephd]

Sounds like you are on your way to a useful experiment -- I look forward to hearing the results!

[olikli]

This certainly is worth being investigated. But I am just starting out on cheese making, so to do it myself I first need to prove I can make the same cheese consistently.

[Schnecken Slayer]

I can see why france would be concerned as they eat a lot of cheese. So, since you are unlikely to do this regularly or unless it alters the flavour, then you should be fine.

[Al Lewis]

It's my understanding that iodine kills bacteria and molds, except for those in saltwater which feed off of iodine.  That's the extent of my knowledge on the subject so I will be interested in your final result.

[olikli]

It's my understanding that iodine kills bacteria and molds, except for those in saltwater which feed off of iodine.  That's the extent of my knowledge on the subject so I will be interested in your final result.

Apparently iodised salt has been used on a large scale in Switzerland with no appartent effect on quality. The dose makes the poison, as they say. Maybe the amount of iodine in the salt is just to small to have a signficant effect on microorganisms. Just because iodine in a high conentration is used for wound sterilisation, for example, this does not necessarily mean that a tiny amount will kill off enough micro-organisms in the milk to make cheese making usesless.

[awakephd]

I always thought the issue had to do with off tastes that develop over the aging of the cheese ... but honestly I don't remember where or even if I read that, or just dreamed it, or ...

[Schnecken Slayer]

So, have you tried this cheese yet or is it still aging?

[qdog1955]

It seems that you younger people have forgotten why the salt was iodized in the first place  . Goiter.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitre  ---note the reference to Switzerland.
Qdog

[olikli]

So, have you tried this cheese yet or is it still aging?

I have just cut the first one and it still was a bit immature albeit quite tasty. Of course I don't have a non-iodised comparison piece, but I don't thik it has harmed the cheese.