UK government consults public on compulsory folate fortification

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7546.873-a

BMJ 2006;332:873 (15 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7546.873-a

News roundup

UK government consults public on compulsory folate fortification

London Robert Short

The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency is to consult consumers on mandatory food fortification with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects. A 12 week consultation will start in May 2006, in which the agency will seek the views of consumers, industry, and other stakeholders.

In addition, the agency’s board has requested clarification on the subject from the independent scientific advisory committee on nutrition, which advises the government. The agency will then make a recommendation to UK health ministers in September.

The committee estimates, in its draft report on folate and disease prevention, that 700-900 pregnancies are affected by neural tube defects in the UK each year. An unknown number of miscarriages also result.

Countries that have introduced mandatory fortification—Chile, Canada, and the United States—have reduced the risk of affected pregnancies by 30-50%.

Masking of the symptoms due to vitamin B12 deficiency in elderly people has . . . [Full text of this article]

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