Background: Several studies have examined the effects of folic acid fortification on the occurrence of orofacial clefts. This study was carried out to evaluate the impact of flour fortification with folic acid on oral clefts in Northern Iran.   Methods : In this hospital based study from March 2006 to September 2009, we screened the total number of live births at all hospitals in Golestan pro...

background: several studies have examined the effects of folic acid fortification on the occurrence of orofacial clefts. this study was carried out to evaluate the impact of flour fortification with folic acid on oral clefts in northern iran.   methods : in this hospital based study from march 2006 to september 2009, we screened the total number of live births at all hospitals in golestan provi...

OBJECTIVE To compare the breast-milk iodine concentrations (BMIC) of lactating women before and after the mandatory iodine fortification of bread in Australia in 2009. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. Breast milk samples were collected from two cohorts of women in South Australia within 7 d of delivery to determine BMIC. The percentage of samples with iodine concentration below 100 µg/l, a level...

Fortification is the process of adding nutrients or non-nutrient bioactive components to edible products (e.g., food, food constituents, or supplements). Fortification can be used to correct or prevent widespread nutrient intake shortfalls and associated deficiencies, to balance the total nutrient profile of a diet, to restore nutrients lost in processing, or to appeal to consumers looking to s...

OBJECTIVE To measure the iodine content in bread and household salt in Denmark after mandatory iodine fortification was introduced and to estimate the increase in iodine intake due to the fortification. DESIGN The iodine content in rye breads, wheat breads and salt samples was assessed. The increase in iodine intake from fortification of bread and the increase in total iodine intake after for...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of Peru's national folic acid fortification program on folic acid content in wheat flour, and the effect on birth prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Lima, and to compare the program's legislative requirements with international standards. METHODS Bread was sampled from six sites across Peru and tested for folic acid. Data were obtained from the larges...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of fortification by comparing food records and selected biochemical indicators of nutritional status pre- and post-fortification. DESIGN Mean intake from 24 h recalls (n 142) was compared with the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) to determine the proportion with inadequate intake. In a subsample (n 34), diet and serum retinol, folate, ferritin and Zn wer...

OBJECTIVES To examine population iodine status in Tasmania after mandatory iodine fortification of bread and assess the magnitude of difference compared with results from a period of voluntary iodine fortification. DESIGN AND SETTING A cross-sectional urinary iodine survey of schoolchildren from classes that included fourth-grade students was conducted in Tasmania in 2011. Results were compar...

Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with many diseases. Major factors affecting plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations include folate concentrations and polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene. Because U.S.-mandated fortification of grain products with folic acid has improved folate and tHcy status in Americans, we investigated the effect of the MT...

While fortification of staple foods and condiments has gained enormous global traction, poor performance persists throughout many aspects of implementation, most notably around the critical element of regulatory monitoring, which is essential for ensuring foods meet national fortification standards. Where coverage of fortified foods is high, limited nutritional impact of fortification programs ...