Fortifying bread with folic acid

The commencement date for the mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid has been extended to September 30, 2012 to allow a thorough review to take place on the New Zealand Food Standard (Mandatory Fortification of Bread with Folic Acid).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is planning an eight-week consultation on the future of fortifying bread with folic acid. This will give all interested parties an opportunity to voice their views and allow time for the latest research to be considered.

This decision to extend the commencement date was made following public consultation in February. The majority of submissions supported an extension. A summary of submissions from the February consultation process is available on this website under the consultation section.

The extension has the support of the Folic Acid Working Group, which includes industry representatives, health professionals, academics, groups who represent families affected by neural tube defect pregnancies and government officials.

The start date for the next round of consultation is yet to be set but is likely to be later in May. MAF will release a discussion paper, which will outline a range of options for the future of the Standard and detail on how to make a submission. At the same time MAF will release a scientific paper that looks at both international and MAF-commissioned research on folic acid.

Issued by:
Merrill Coke, Senior Communications Adviser
Telephone: 04-894 2448
Email: merrill.coke@maf.govt.nz