Scientific evidence supporting folic acid fortification of flour in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

With some modifications, this document could be utilized in other countries considering fortification of flour or other staple products with folic acid.

Market Potential of Folate Biofortified Rice in China

“…Other countries focused their mandatory folic acid fortification policy on one, e.g. wheat flour in Chile (Hertrampf et al, 2003) and Australia (Oakley et al, 2004), or more food vehicles, e.g. wheat flour, maize flour, milk and rice in Costa Rica (Chen and Rivera, 2004).…”

Folic Acid Supplementation for Women of Childbearing Age versus Supplementation for the General Population: A Review of the Known Advantages and Risks

“…In 1992, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that every woman capable of becoming pregnant should consume 0.4 mg folic acid daily for the prevention of NTDs [4]. Four years later this same governmental agency advised folic acid fortification of enriched grains, such as flour, bread, farina, cornmeal, rice, and pastas [23]. Similar programs were rapidly adopted in many other countries.…”

Folic Acid Supplementation and Spontaneous Preterm Birth: Adding Grist to the Mill?

“…As with the progesterone story, there is renewed interest in decades-old suggestions that folic acid may reduce preterm birth [7]–[9]. Because of poor compliance with recommendations to take periconceptional folate supplements to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), more than 50 countries have already introduced mandatory wheat flour fortification [10]–[12]. In California, this was associated with a modest reduction in low birthweight and preterm birth [13].…”