INTRODUCTION Fortification with folic acid was prohibited in the Netherlands. Since 2007, a general exemption is given to fortify with folic acid up until a maximum level of 100 µg/100 kcal. This maximum level was based on a calculation model and data of adults only. The model requires parameters on intake (diet, supplements, energy) and on the proportion of energy that may be fortified. This s...

A continuing, massive, global epidemic of folic acidpreventable spina bifida and anencephaly affects more than 200,000 children and their families each year (Botto et al., 1999). This unnecessary epidemic is the result of a tragic failure of global public policy. Health and food authorities around the world have either not required any folic acid fortification programs (as in Europe, Australia,...

Folic acid fortification of grain foods on a mandatory basis has been in place in the USA since 1998. Because of the safety concerns surrounding this issue, the Food and Drug Administration in the USA, responsible for implementing the new fortification legislation, opted for the relatively low folic acid concentration of 1400mg/kg product, (United States Department of Health and Human Services,...

BACKGROUND Ireland is an example of a country that has extensive voluntary fortification with folic acid. After a public consultation process, in 2006, the Food Safety Authority in Ireland FSAI 1 recommended mandatory fortification. However due to safety considerations this decision is now on hold. Before mandatory fortification goes ahead, existing levels of unmetabolised folic acid and their ...

BACKGROUND The purpose of food fortification is to affect those at the lower end of the distribution curve for nutrient status while avoiding unintended consequences for those at the high end of the distribution. Vitamin D presents challenges in this regard. OBJECTIVES We used scenarios to model changes in concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] based on increases made because o...

Food fortification with iron can be an inexpensive, simple and effective strategy for controlling and preventing iron deficiency and anemia in many countries . Since iron deficiency was one of the main public health problems in Iran, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOH&ME) started technical and pilot studies on subjects about 16 years ago (in 2001). Based on the results obtained a...

This report presents the available evidence on the magnitude of micronutrient deficiencies in countries in the Western Pacific Region (WPR), identifies nutrient inadequacies per capita per day based on 1999 Food Balance Sheet data and the steps required to alleviate these inadequacies through micronutrient fortification of food. Suitable food vehicles for fortification within each country are a...