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UK Officials Push for Increased Folate Intake by Women
January 15, 2007
1 Min Read
LONDONIn an effort to curb neural birth defects, officials from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) are soliciting public and industry stakeholder comments regarding the agencys options for increasing folate intake among women of child-bearing age. The move comes on the heels of a recently published final report, Folate and Disease Prevention, by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), which recommended mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid in the United Kingdom.
FSA has presented four options for increasing folate intake:
Continue with the current policy of advice to women;
Increase the effort to encourage young women to take folic acid supplements and make changes to their diets to increase the consumption of folate-rich foods;
Encourage industry to fortify more foods with folic acid on a voluntary basis; or,
Recommend the mandatory fortification of bread or flour with folic acid.
In making its final recommendation to the Health Ministers in May 2007, FSA will consider the SACN report and any submitted comments, as well as any scientific data on the subject.
This consultation is an opportunity for consumers, industry, health charities and other stakeholders to express their views and opinions on this issue, said Rosemary Hignett, head of nutrition at FSA. The Food Standards Agency is committed to policy-making that will benefit peoples health, and we do this on the basis of weighing up the evidence in relation to risks and benefits.
Comments will be accepted through March 13; for more information on the options, visit http://www.food.gov.uk/consultations/ukwideconsults/2006/folate.
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