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Source: ONE News -
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Folic acid in bread becomes compulsory in Australia this weekend just weeks after the New Zealand Government decided to defer whether to implement the same standard.
Folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of babies being born with defects such as spina bifida, but bakers in New Zealand have been opposed to its compulsory addition in bread, saying women would need to eat large amounts for it to make a difference.
The previous Labour government was set to have the rule implemented this year, but National wasn't so keen on the idea, deciding instead to let bakers introduce it voluntarily while it considers its options.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand chief scientist Paul Brent said today that adding the form of B vitamin folate to bread would greatly reduce the risk of babies being born with spina bifida.
In Australia, about 300 to 350 pregnancies were affected each year by a neural tube defect like spina bifida.
"Mandatory folic acid addition to flour has been used safely in the United States and Canada for over 10 years where rates of spina bifida have significantly decreased," Dr Brent said.
He said the food industry had been permitted to voluntarily add folic acid to some foods, and making it compulsory in bread would help women reach their daily recommended intake requirements.
The vitamin will be added to all bread-making flour apart from organic flour.
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