When was mandatory folate fortification introduced in Australia?

September 2009
Mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid (in Australia only) and iodine (in both Australia and New Zealand) was introduced from September 2009 under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Folic acid is added to wheat flour for bread-making purposes to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.

How common are neural tube defects Australia?

Main findings include: There were a total of 944 births over this period affected by NTD. Of these births, 523 were live births and 421 were fetal deaths (still births and terminations after 20 weeks gestation). This equates to a prevalence of neural tube defects (NTD) among births of 4.6 per 10,000.

What is the prevalence of neural tube defect?

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of birth defects that result from a partial or complete failure of the neural tube to close during embryogenesis. Their prevalence varies between 0.5 to 2 per 1000 births in countries without folic acid supplementation.

Are there neural tube defects before or after fortification?

Prevalence of neural tube defects before and after the mandatory fortification of flours with folic acid, Brazil, 2001–2014 The prevalence of spina bifida and, particularly, anencephaly were lower post-fortification than pre-fortification among both live births and stillbirths (Table 2).

How is folic acid linked to neural tube defects?

Low maternal dietary folic acid ( folate) has been shown to be associated with the development of neural tube defects. In September 2009, mandatory folic acid fortification of bread flour was introduced in Australia. Research over the last 20 years had suggested a relationship between maternal diet and the birth of an affected infant.

What are neural tube defects ( NTD ) in Australia?

Neural tube defects in Australia: prevalence before mandatory folic acid fortification 1 View report 2 Summary 3 Background. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of major congenital anomalies comprising anencephaly, spina bifida and encephalocele that result from very early disruption in the development of the brain 4 Key findings.

When did folic acid become mandatory in Australia?

In Australia, from 13 September 2009, the mandatory folic acid fortification standard requires the addition of folic acid to all wheat flour for bread making, with the exception of organic bread, within the prescribed range of 200–300 μg per 100 g of flour.