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Profiling National Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification Policy Around the World

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Handbook of Food Fortification and Health

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Mandatory food fortification “occurs when governments legally oblige food producers to fortify particular foods or categories of foods with specified micronutrients” [1]. Because mandatory food fortification exposes everyone in the population who consumes the fortified food(s) to raised levels of the specified micronutrient, it is one of the most powerful policy instruments available to influence dietary intake and population health outcomes. Many national food regulatory authorities have established policy guidance on mandatory food fortification. From an international perspective, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) provides principles for the addition of essential nutrients to foods [2]. According to these Codex principles, mandatory food fortification with additional vitamins and minerals is recommended where there is proven public health and nutrition need (Note: these principles are under review at the time of writing).

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Abbreviations

A2Z:

The USAID Micronutrient and Child Blindness Project

CDC:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Codex:

Codex Alimentarius Commission

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

FFI:

Flour Fortification Initiative

GAIN:

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

MI:

Micronutrient Initiative

NTD:

Neural tube defect

RiFoRG:

Rice Fortification Resource Group

UNICEF:

United Nations Children’s Fund

USAID:

United States Agency for International Development

WFP:

World Food Programme

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Policy Unit, Population Health Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, VIC, 3125, Australia

    Mark A. Lawrence & Karishma Kripalani

Authors
  1. Mark A. Lawrence
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  2. Karishma Kripalani
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Correspondence to Mark A. Lawrence .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. University Hospital Lewisham, Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Kings College Hospital, London, SM68SU, United Kingdom

    Rajaventhan Srirajaskanthan

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Lawrence, M.A., Kripalani, K. (2013). Profiling National Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification Policy Around the World. In: Preedy, V., Srirajaskanthan, R., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Food Fortification and Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7110-3_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7110-3_22

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7110-3

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