Consumer NZ supports the suspension of plans to compel bakers to add folic acid to bread in a bid to reduce the number of babies born with neural tube defects (NTDs).
However, we urge the government to publicly fund an awareness campaign stressing to pregnant women and those considering having a baby, the importance of folate supplements. Lack of folic acid increases the risk of babies being born with NTDs such as spina bifida.
We had been concerned at the move to mandatory fortification because it might result in limited consumer choice, and nutrient imbalances and excesses in children and the elderly.
In our view mandatory fortification would not fully address the health issue as there would still be the need to promote a diet high in folate-rich foods, and women planning a pregnancy would still need to take a folic acid supplement.
The Ministry of Health recommends women take a 0.8mg supplement of folate four weeks before they conceive and for the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy.
They should also increase the folate in their diet by eating fruit and vegetables and wholegrain breads and cereals. Some breakfast cereals and some fruit juices are fortified with folate - this will be stated on the label.
Prime Minister John Key announced this week that the government’s preference was to put on hold for three years a decision to make it mandatory for folic acid to be added to bread.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Member Comments
Got a question or comment on this topic? Share your views and experiences with other Consumer members...
To add a comment you need to be a member of consumer.org.nz. Login or Join.
Read what our members have to say close
To save money on essentials and make buying decisions easy, you can't go past Consumer. We're proud to have over 65,000 members all enjoying our independent information online or in Consumer magazine.
Here's what some of them say...
"Just wanted to let you know that I find your site excellent! Easy to find my way around, everything at my fingertips - just a click away.
I only took out a 3 month membership as I wasn't sure but it is actually really easy to use and if I want it on paper I can print the
reports. Thanks again".
Denise Watkinson - Waitakere
"My mother (74) got a renewal letter from her insurance company for her car insurance, wanting $570. After reading
your article on car insurance, I contacted one of the companies you recommended, who quoted her $318 for the same
level of cover. I just wanted to stay thank you very much for your article, as it has saved my mother a substantial amount of money".
Adrian Lane - Kapiti Coast
"I've been a member to the magazine since 1997 and enjoy reading it a lot. I've found lots of helpful information on different issues...
Thank you for being so helpful".
Peter Kovalenko - Porirua
"I have been a member of the Consumer NZ for 20 or more years and have enjoyed much reliable advice.
I turn to their tests before making significant purchases".
Lyndal Print – Auckland
Join Consumer now and make your decisions easy on a huge range of products and services
- Over 500 reports, plus interactive tools and calculators
- Independent advice from NZ's trusted source of information
- Join over 65,000 members who help us get all NZers a fairer deal
from just $28
When a woman becomes pregnant and goes to see her GP they normally recommend that she ups her intake of certain things, ie: iron tabs, so if there is a real concern about this NTD thing, then surely any GP worth there salt would be recommending to her to increase her intake of folic acid etc. Leave the doctoring to the doctors and the pregnant ladies to make their own choice as to whether they want to take the risk or minimise it re the NTD!!
In this issue you also survey home breadmakers. Many mothers-to-be do not eat commercial bread and so would miss out on folic acid even if it were mandatory. Your introduction to these comments points the right way.
It does not make sense to medicate 4.5 Million for a problem that affects only women of child bearing age. And do they know that those women would eat enough bread to ensure they got the right amount of folic acid. I would suggest anyone eating the said 11 slices of bread per day to get their folic acid requirements would also need additives for weight management too. We need more educating, and awareness about NTD and general good eating and nutrition (specifically about folate rich foods), not medicate the entire nation. How ridiculous, it does not make sense on so many levels. Hopefully it is on hold for good!
A thought - a baker placing too much folic acid in bread products what wuld the consequences be? And what checks would be done to ensure it didn't happen?
In the German doctors e-mail journal Doc-check,
concern has been expressed by by Dr. Erich Lederer who reports on recent studies associating an increase of dietary folic acid to 1mg daily, with an increased risk of a colorectal adenoma of about 10 %.
This is worth following up.
The URL for this article is
http://news.doccheck.com/com/article/172122-folic-acid-the-janus-vitamin/?utm_source=DC-Newsletter&utm_medium=E-Mail&utm_campaign=Newsletter-COM-News-2009-07-27&mailing=16481&dc_user_id=fvrhvi3&cide=dce100474&redirected=1
I am also very pleased with the decision not to put folate in my bread. I have noticed that when all sorts of foods are 'fortified' with extra additives, people end up very confused about what kinds of foods are naturally high in what nutrients.
It seems to be that by fortifying foods, we are just being taken one more step away from understanding what a good, nutritious, balanced diet looks like.