Folate’s role in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in infants is well established. Health practitioners have long recommended that women of child-bearing age, in particular, eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, citrus fruit, whole grains, legumes and folic acid-fortified foods to ensure they are getting enough folate.
They also recommend that any woman planning pregnancy take a folic acid supplement (0.8mg) daily for at least four weeks before, and 12 weeks after, conception.
But despite their best attempts to increase our folate intake, most New Zealand women of child-bearing age still do not have enough folate in their diets.
When you consider that many pregnancies are unplanned, the importance of regularly consuming enough folate becomes clearer.
So, after researching the benefits and risks of mandatory folic acid fortification, the New Zealand government has decided to fortify bread with folic acid.
It’s expected that women’s folic acid intakes will increase through eating the fortified bread as part of their normal diet.
In Canada, a recent research study found that NTDs were reduced by 46% after mandatory folic acid fortification was introduced.
There are differences between the Canadian fortification programme and that planned for New Zealand. However, the hope is that by fortifying all bread with folate, except organic breads, between four and 14 NTDs will be prevented annually in New Zealand.
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