UK folate report published late, but Ireland forges ahead

A long-awaited consultation on adding folate to bread is now expected in mid December - seven months after its original publication date.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will use the recommendations by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and subsequent comments, as well as consumer research, to advise the Department of Health on whether bread should be fortified to boost folic acid levels in pregnant women. Women with low levels risk giving birth to children with neural tube defect, but there is also concern that overdosing can mask the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly.

Meanwhile, Ireland is going ahead with mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid.Food and Drink Industry Ireland’s regulatory affairs executive Neil McGowan said: “The government wants the scheme up and running by the end of 2007, but there are a lot of technical issues to be ironed out first.”

Folic acid could be added during flour milling, at the dough-making stage, or by adding a folic acid-fortified flavour agent to the mix. It is likely that in Ireland it will be added to the flour, said McGowan.

“The main advantage is that you only have to deal with a couple of flour millers to reach pretty much all bread products and it takes away the need for small artisanal bakers to buy specialised equipment,” he said. It also meant that the dosage of 120 micrograms per 100g of bread would be more consistent, he added.

Some soda breads contain ingredients that inhibit folic acid and the baking process itself is known to reduce its levels.

For manufacturers there are three potential extra costs: labelling to reflect fortification; buying folic acid; and monitoring folic acid levels, but industry accepted that fortification could improve bread's image, claimed McGowan.

“Bread has taken a beating in the past few years with the Atkins diet,” he said. “Something like this could propel bread back to the base of the food pyramid where it belongs.”