Consultation outcome

Adding folic acid to flour

• From: Department of Health and Social Care, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government and Department of Health (Northern Ireland)
• Published: 13 June 2019
• Last updated: 21 September 2021 — See all updates

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Proposal to add folic acid to flour: consultation response

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Detail of outcome

From June to September 2019, the UK Government and devolved administrations consulted on the proposed policy of mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) in foetuses.

The UK Government and devolved administrations’ response confirms that they intend to proceed with the fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour.

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Original consultation

Summary

We want your views on whether flour millers should be required by law to add folic acid to flour.

This consultation ran from
9:30am on 13 June 2019 to 11:59pm on 9 September 2019

Consultation description

We’re seeking your views on our proposal to make it mandatory for flour millers to add folic acid to flour (a process known as ‘fortification’).

Mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid should help raise people’s levels of a vitamin called ‘folate’.

Raising folate levels in women who could become pregnant would help reduce the number of babies born with birth defects of the brain, spine or spinal cord, known as ‘neural tube defects’.

We want to introduce this change across the UK.

Documents

Consultation update

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Ministerial foreword: proposal to add folic acid to flour

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Proposal to add folic acid to flour: consultation document

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Rhagair y Gweinidogion: cynnig i ychwanegu asid ffolig at flawd

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Cynnig i ychwanegu asid ffolig at flawd: dogfen ymgynghori

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Impact assessment: the fortification of flour with folic acid

PDF, 387 KB, 36 pages

Published 13 June 2019
Last updated 21 September 2021 + show all updates

1. 21 September 2021

   Consultation response published.

2. 27 September 2019

   The attachment 'Consultation update' has been added. The consultation received 1,400 responses, which we are currently analysing. We will provide further information once we are able to.

3. 27 June 2019

   Welsh translations have been added for the ministerial foreword, consultation document and survey.

4. 13 June 2019

   First published.