§ Mr. EasthamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received asking that bread, cereals and flour be enriched with folic acid.
§ Mr. SoamesI have received no such representations.
§ Mr. EasthamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to ensure that bread, cereals and flour are enriched with folic acid.
§ Mr. SoamesThe expert group that advised the Chief Medical Officer—in its report "Folic Acid and the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects"—recommended that only breads and breakfast cereals should be fortified and that a choice of unfortified products should remain available. There are therefore no plans for fortification of flour. Many breakfast cereals and a number of breads are already fortified with folic acid. My Department has written to the relevant trade organisations to encourage them to increase the range of products fortified with folic acid in line with recommendations of the expert advisory group. The response has been positive. About 50 to 60 per cent. of the breakfast cereals on the market are fortified with folic acid and a number of new fortified breads have appeared on the market.