August 2019
The government is consulting on plans to add folic acid to flour in the UK to help prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. Pregnant women are already advised to take folic acid, but many do not take it. It is estimated fortifying flour with folic acid could prevent up to 200 birth defects a year. The charity Shine, which has campaigned for the move for 25 years, said it hoped it would not be another 25 before it happened.