Professor Joins Foic Acid Debate

A British Professor has joined the folic acid fortification debate by supporting the mandatory addition of the mineral to bread.

Professor Sir Nicholas Wald from Barts & The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry in London has spoken out against voluntary fortification and claims that relying on voluntary fortification of grain products with folic acid is not sufficient to ensure adequate intakes and reduce birth defects.

The acamemic decided to speak out following a comment article on the NutraIngredients website titled ‘Folic acid: Old women and children first!’ which supported the argument that mandatory fortification was unnecessary given current voluntary initiatives by manufacturers.

He told NutraIngredients: “The commentary entitled ‘Folic acid: Old women and children first!’ dated 24th August 2009 proposed relying on voluntary fortification and consumer knowledge to ensure that people get enough folic acid in their daily diet. Voluntary food fortification programs are just that – voluntary. They can begin or end at the food manufacturers’ discretion and often sections of the community that are most in need are not protected.

“The best way to achieve safe folic acid levels is a well-planned, efficiently monitored mandatory fortification program. It is inconsistent to rely on people doing something deliberately to safely prevent a serious medical disorder but at the same time argue that doing so generally is unsafe or undesirable.

“If voluntary fortification is acceptable, there is no reason not to support mandatory fortification. Unfortified flour products could still be sold provided they are labelled accordingly.

“The argument favouring voluntary fortification is that consumers will make good choices regarding folic acid. This policy has not worked. Many pregnancies are unplanned. Even after a health awareness campaign no more than about 50 per cent of women took folic acid supplements before pregnancy. Voluntary fortification with folic acid can improve a population’s folate status, but most voluntary programs do not reach all the population.

“Most importantly, mandatory fortification means that women who need folic acid the most will receive an adequate amount of this essential nutrient without having to change their behavior. We should not accept the needless burden of disability from birth defects such as spina bifida when a proven method for reducing their incidence is available.”

To read Professor Wald’s statement in full visit www.nutraingredients.com