Flour will be boosted with folic acid to protect hundreds of
babies against serious disabilities every year.
But daily supplements are still vital urges Wales' top
doctor.
New law will require non-wholemeal flour to be fortified with
folic acid from the end of 2026.
This will help prevent around 200 neural tube defects in babies
every year.
Neural tube defects affect the brain, spine and spinal cord from
developing properly in the womb.
This can cause life-limiting spinal conditions like spina bifida
or anencephaly.
Before becoming pregnant and in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy,
women are advised to take folic acid supplements to protect their
baby against serious defects.
But around half of pregnancies are unplanned, and experts say
only some women take the daily tablets.
Adding folic acid to flour-based foods – like bread – will help
reduce the number of neural tube defect affected pregnancies and
improve the general health of the population.
Calcium, iron and some B vitamins are already added to flour in
the UK.
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Sir Frank Atherton
said:
“The Welsh Government is committed to giving children the best,
healthiest start to life.
“Fortifying flour with folic acid is a simple and effective way
to reduce neural tube defects and make a real difference to so
many lives.
“But it's important that women who are pregnant or may become
pregnant continue to follow the advice to take a daily folic acid
supplement.
“Taking 400 micrograms of folic acid before and in the first 3
months of pregnancy is a vital step to protecting babies from
life threatening conditions.
“Neural tube defects can have a devastating impact on life
expectancy, so this simple step could save lives across Wales.”
Kate Steele, CEO of Shine, the national charity that
supports people whose lives have been affected by anencephaly,
spina bifida and hydrocephalus says:
"This is fantastic news.
“Shine has been at the forefront of this campaign for the
mandatory introduction of folic acid to flour for over 30 years,
when research was published to show that folic acid could reduce
the chances of pregnancies being affected by neural tube defects
such as anencephaly, an important cause of baby loss, and spina
bifida.
“This move will mean that far fewer families will have to undergo
the trauma of a potentially fatal or life-affecting diagnosis for
an unborn baby.
This is a major milestone, and we are so grateful to everyone who
has played a part in getting this legislation over the line".
Notes to editors
- This policy change is being implemented as part of the review
of the Bread and Flour Regulations (BFR), led by The UK
Government Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
(DEFRA- England), The Food Standards Agency (FSA – Wales and N.
Ireland) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). Legislation was laid
in England on 14thNovember 2024, with equivalent
legislation to be laid shortly in Scotland, Northern Ireland and
Wales. Industry has a 24-month transition period to fully
implement the changes by December 2026.
- Currently, UK guidelines recommend that women who could
become pregnant take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of
folic acid before conception and up until the 12th week of
pregnancy to reduce the risk of NTD-affected pregnancies. This
advice will continue following the fortification of flour with
folic acid. Fortification of flour with folic acid is intended as
a population measure to support, not replace, current
supplementation advice for individuals.
-
Shine - Spina Bifida &
Hydrocephalus
