London, UNITED KINGDOM: Nutrition International celebrates a new legislation passed by the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) that will make fortifying all non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid mandatory by the end of 2026 ‒ preventing around 200 cases of debilitating brain and spine defects in babies every year (a 20% reduction) as well as improving the health of the population, including pregnant women. This legislation comes one year after the passage of the World Health Assembly resolution “Accelerating efforts for preventing micronutrient deficiencies and their consequences, including spina bifida and other neural tube defects, through safe and effective food fortification” supported by Nutrition International and over 50 nutrition organizations globally. 

Adding essential micronutrients of need to staple and locally consumed foods and condiments, such as flour, is a proven, sustainable and cost-effective solution to address some of the most common micronutrient deficiencies and insufficiencies. Folate insufficiency is a leading cause of neural tube defects, which can cause a large number of serious or fatal conditions to babies in the womb, including spina bifida and anencephaly. Babies born with spina bifida may require repeated neurosurgeries as well as in-hospital care, rehabilitation and life-long support. Mandatory fortification of staple foods with folic acid improves the folate status of women, greatly reducing the risk of giving birth to babies with neural tube defects, should they become pregnant.  

The UK government estimates that the new legislation will deliver savings of around £20 million to the National Health Service over 10 years, and boost the economy by more than £90 million over 10 years. 

Together with government, industry stakeholders and partners, Nutrition International works to support food fortification in the countries where it works to improve the health and wellbeing of entire populations ‒ and to help countries reap both the economic and human capital benefits of this high-impact intervention. 

Nutrition International encourages other countries to follow in the UK’s footsteps by putting in place mandatory large-scale food fortification legislation and standards which are meeting the needs of their population ‒ and offering ongoing dedicated attention to ensure the standards continue to address those needs. Through these informed and persistent measures, deleterious impacts of micronutrient deficiencies and insufficiencies may be prevented. Furthermore, the measures will help to reduce healthcare costs for generations to come.  

In collaboration with the Food Fortification Initiative, Nutrition International developed a comprehensive Blueprint for the design and implementation of large-scale food fortification programs that aims to provide structured guidance for countries who are ready to move to mandatory regulation, and a library of tools and resources to fortification program managers and key stakeholders to ensure optimal and sustainable program design. The organization also has a wide roster of fortification experts operating globally to offer ongoing support to countries. 

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