§ Baroness Haymanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of the reduction in birth defects evidenced in the recently published Canadian study of the effects of the fortification of flour with folic acid, they will reconsider the case for such fortification in the United Kingdom. [HL4372]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)The Government recognise the importance of folic acid and take this issue very seriously by actively promoting folic acid supplements for women who might become pregnant. The Department of Health continues to support the folic acid flash scheme and encourages voluntary fortification of foods with folic acid.
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently considering whether sufficient new evidence on wider implications of folic acid fortification has emerged to warrant a new risk assessment since that undertaken by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy and published in 2000. The issue of fortification will be reconsidered following SACN's consideration and as further evidence becomes available from overseas.