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Aims to avoid hundreds of potentially life-threatening spinal conditions in babies every year
Folic acid will be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour across the UK to help prevent life-threatening spinal conditions in babies, the Government of UK and devolved administrations have announced.
Adding folic acid will mean foods made with flour, such as bread, will actively help avoid around 200 neural tube defects each year – around 20 per cent of the annual UK total.
Non-wholemeal flour is already an established vehicle for fortification in the UK and the costs of fortification to the industry are expected to be minimal.
The addition of folic acid to food has been a successful public health policy in a number of countries worldwide such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, resulting in falls in neural tube defects.
A 4-nation review of Bread and Flour Regulations is being undertaken by officials in Defra, the Department of Health and Social Care, Food Standards Agency, and Food Standards Scotland. The implementation of the UK decision on the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid will be included in this review.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities – launching fully on October 1 – will lead efforts to level up health disparities across the nation by supporting people of all ages, in all areas of the country, to live healthier lives and prevent illness.