Folic Acid - Dietary Fortification

Dietary Fortification

Folic acid fortification is a process in which where folic acid is added to flour with the intention of promoting a public health through increasing blood folate levels in the public. In the USA, food is fortified with folic acid, only one of the many naturally-occurring forms of folate, and a substance contributing only a minor amount to the folates in natural foods.

Since the discovery of the link between insufficient folic acid and neural tube defects, governments and health organizations worldwide have made recommendations concerning folic acid supplementation for women intending to become pregnant.

Fortification is controversial, with issues having been raised concerning individual liberty, as well as the health concerns described in the Toxicity section above. In the USA, there is concern that the federal government mandates fortification, but does not provide any monitoring of any potential undesirable effects of fortification.

Several western countries now fortify their flour, along with a number of Middle Eastern countries and Indonesia. Mongolia and a number of former Soviet republics are among those having widespread voluntary fortification; about five more countries (including Morocco, the first African country) have agreed, but not yet implemented, fortification. To date, no EU country has yet mandated fortification. It was raised again however at the Gastein Health Forum meeting in Bad Gastein, Austria, in October 2012 when health policymakers were shown a study that claimed fortifying bread sold to the general public with folic acid could reduce the number of birth defects by up to 60 per cent.