BIANZ welcomes folic acid review

The Baking Industry Association of New Zealand has welcomed the government’s decision to review the mandatory addition of folic acid to bread products, due to take effect on 27 September this year.

BIANZ Executive officer Belinda Jeursen says that BIANZ remains opposed to the mandatory addition of folic acid and believes a review makes sense considering the amount of people opposed to the move and the number of questions being asked around the issue. “We don’t believe in the mass medication of the population, and especially not through a trusted item of daily consumption such as bread. Consumers are already faced with very complex decisions about what to eat and what to avoid; adding folic acid to bread products increases the confusion and sense of mistrust around food ingredients. Voluntary schemes have been shown to work well elsewhere and we would support an education campaign aimed at women of child bearing age rather than seeing everyone medicated.”

Ms Jeursen added, however, that if the mandatory addition of folic acid does become law in September BIANZ will be doing all they can to assist their members to make the transition easily and correctly. “We’re working with NZFSA and bakery suppliers to ensure our bakers know what they are doing and feel confident about the new laws.”

BIANZ worked with the New Zealand Association of Bakers to make submissions against the addition of folic acid to bread.