Posted on January, 14, 2025 at 12:41 am
Legislation requiring the fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid in England has been approved by Parliament.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), fortification with folic acid will prevent 200 cases of neural tube defects per year and improve the health of pregnant women. The law will take effect at the end of 2026.
Folic acid has been mandated in the United States since 1998. Data from the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI) indicate most European countries have yet to mandate fortification of flour with folic acid. By contrast, all of North America and nearly all of Central and South America have mandates in place for wheat flour and/or maize.
The FFI attributed the UK move to “tireless advocacy from committed public, private, and civic sector advocates, including FFI, The Queen’s Nursing Institute - Scotland, International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and Shine, a UK organization that provides support for families and children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.”
For its part, the FFI has provided guidance to the UK Government since 2013 and partnered with in-country civic groups to advocate for folic acid to be included in the country’s fortification mandate.
The group said it worked during the UK’s Red Tape Challenge, an effort dating back to 2011 aimed at removing unnecessary government regulations, to successfully convince decision makers of the importance and necessity of mandatory flour fortification.
“FFI also participated in a 2019 public consultation with industry leaders and key stakeholders,” the group said. “As a result of the consultation, policy makers found overwhelming support in favor of adding folic acid to mandatory wheat flour fortification to improve public health outcomes, leading them to ultimately add folic acid to the fortification legislation.”
Flour in the United Kingdom is already fortified with calcium, niacin, thiamine and iron.
“The move to include folic acid will reduce neural tube defects by 20% in the UK and improve the health of pregnant women,” the DHSC said. “It will also deliver savings of around £20 million to the NHS over 10 years and boost the economy by more than £90 million over 10 years.”
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said the UK government is “continuing to engage” with the food industry to offer support for those implementing the mandate, which will apply to the whole of the UK. He said Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will introduce their own regulations “in due course.”
“The fortification of flour is a simple and effective way to help to reduce cases of neural tube defects, although it is important that women who are pregnant or intending to become pregnant continue to take folic acid supplements before and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy,” Whitty said.
“The mandatory addition of folic acid to fortified wheat flour is a major public health victory that will create a stronger future for the UK and may encourage other European countries to mandate fortification,” the FFI said.
Source: World Grain