Should folic acid fortification be mandatory?
Should folic acid fortification be mandatory?
Survey: Should folic acid fortification be mandatory?
The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency recently recommended mandatory folic acid fortification of some foods. Nicholas Wald and Godfrey Oakley argue that this is a safe and effective way of preventing spina bifida and anencephaly—but Richard Hubner and colleagues say that more research is needed.
The final result, with 474 respondents, was:
|
Yes |
62% |
|
No |
38% |
Why people voted the way they did:
“I prefer to eat food, not chemicals. Food has been eaten for thousands of years, with good effect. Refined and synthesised chemicals as "food" are a modern invention with no long-term safety data.”
“Evidence-based medicine proves it to be beneficial more than harmful.”
“Women should have ready access to folic acid in common foods because neural tube defects in the embryo occur before a pregnancy is known.”
Who were our respondents (top four categories)?
|
Medically qualified doctors |
62% |
|
Other healthcare professional or student |
15% |
|
Academic researcher |
11% |
|
Member of the public |
4% |
Which countries did the votes come from (top seven)?
|
United Kingdom |
45% |
|
Australia |
9% |
|
Italy |
6% |
|
Canada |
4% |
|
Chile |
4% |
|
New Zealand |
4% |
|
Sweden |
4% |
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