Soil & Health Association of New Zealand (Est. 1941)

Publishers of ORGANIC NZ

Bread Fortification Decision Is Unjust

The NO CHOICE mandatory fortification of all bread with synthetic folic acid to 4,000,000 people to prevent just 8* neural tube defect pregnancies is unjust.

There has been NO nationwide campaign to explain the problem or to give nutritional or supplement education. Good nutritional education will benefit neural tube defects figures and much more.

There is NO real serious consumer choice for those wanting to avoid fortified bread. Pikelets, crumpets, pizza bases and unleavened flat breads are the option, Yeah right, a tomato pikelet sandwich??

Health risks from high folate levels have been brushed away.

There is a lack of study done on the effects of 7% of 2-3 year olds consuming folic acid in excess of the Upper Limit guidelines. NZ Food Safety Authority and the Ministry of Health have expressed concern.

There has not been follow up to a study showing an increase of Prostate Cancer in some genetic groups from elevated folate levels. There are other health ramifications with increased folate.

Safe Food Minister Annette King is part of the 10 decision makers in Australia next Wednesday, agreeing or not, to Food Standards Australia New Zealand's decision to fortify all bread with folic acid.
Iodine is intended to follow the same process, with fortification by both into bread at the same time.
Is the Minister, Annette King inclined? the people are not.

New Zealanders deserve choice! Many are asking for choice. Choice and education.

84% want choice, 2005 NZFSA report.
An Australian report had 91% wanting choice and the target group? - a massive 95% of reproductive females wanted choice.

Soil & Health is most concerned for those that have experienced the very real tragedy of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Soil & Health is consistently working to have toxins such as Dioxin and pesticides removed from our food and environment. These also contribute to spina bifida and other horific conditions.

Soil & Health advocates a highly nutritious organic diet high in natural folate.

Soil & Health has an approach to significantly reducing this blight, that also allows Consumer Choice. A voluntary and educative approach.

However if fortification proceeds, Soil & Health, along with organic organisations on both sides of the Tasman, seeks an exemption for organics.

*Fortification of bread will deliver a mean increase in folic acid intake in the target population of 140 μg in NZ, resulting in an estimated reduction of between 4-14 out of 70-75 pregnancies in New Zealand affected by a Neuro Tube Defect (NTD) each year.
That equates to 7.9 cases of NTD prevented.
Broken down that means a reduction of 1.3 live births, 1.3 stillbirths, and 5.2 terminations from Neural Tube Defect pregnancies.

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