Folic acid

The Health Ministers have agreed with FSA‘s advice and at present have decided not to proceed with the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid due to outstanding concerns about vitamin B12 deficiency in older people.

In January 2000 the Government's Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) issued a report on folic acid and its role in the prevention of disease. On 25 July 2000 the four UK Health Departments and the Food Standards Agency jointly issued a consultation document seeking views on how the Governments should respond to the conclusions of the COMA report and on additional factors which, in the case of universal fortification, include the management of any risk, consumer choice, technical feasibility, legislative issues, cost to industry and knock-on effects on prices to the consumer. This is a summary of responses and next steps.

This report reviews available evidence linking dietary folate and folic acid with human health. It is concerned particularly with the need for adequate intakes of folate at the time of conception to reduce the risk of a pregnancy being affected by a neural tube defect (NTD), of which spina bifida is a common form.