Fortification of Food with Folic Acid
In spring 2007, the board of the Food Standards Agency agreed white and brown
flour should be fortified with folic acid to reduce neural tube defects in
newborn
babies. In October 2007, the FSA
received a letter from the Chief Medical
Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, requesting
further consideration of evidence of a
link
between high folic acid intake and
colorectal cancer. As a result of
this,
the
Scientific Advisory Committee on
Nutrition,
which advises the
FSA,
recommended a
final decision on fortification of
flour
with folic
acid
should not
be made
until results of two further studies
on this
subject
were
available
for
consideration, expected to be in late 2008. The SACN will then consider the results before
issuing further advice to the FSA, with this expected to happen by mid-2009.
In the meantime, however, the FSA has said it will continue to work with food
industry on controls of other foods fortified voluntarily with folic acid.
These
controls were originally designed to ensure that following mandatory
fortification
of flour with folic acid, consumers did not take excessive levels of folic
acid
in their diets. The FSA's pursuit of these voluntary controls is of great
concern
to FDF. It will be some time before the FSA makes a decision on
mandatory
fortification and an even later date at which mandatory fortification is
finally
implemented and of benefit to the consumer. As such FDF is concerned
that
any
action to
reduce voluntary fortification in the absence of
mandatory
fortification
could
potentially have an adverse effect on folic acid
intake
of
the
population.
In general, FDF believes it is important that consumers have a choice as to
whether or not they consume foods which are fortified. Because of this, our
members
would like to be able to continue to add folic acid to products on a voluntary
basis, at a level which is safe in the light of the FSA's final recommendation
on
mandatory fortification.
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