World Grain - December 2008 - 75

FEATURE: IAOM EURASIA CONFERENCE

European Regional Flour Fortification Consultation
A two-day event called the European Regional Flour Fortification Consultation followed this year's IAOM Eurasia District Conference in Bucharest, Romania on Oct. 22-23. Millers, public health officials and experts,
vitamin and mineral suppliers and others engaged in an exchange of scientific information, practical experience and policy ideas about flour fortification as a cost-effective solution to micronutrient deficiencies in countries
ranging from Ireland to Uzbekistan.
The relationship between folate deficiencies and neural tube defects
(NTDs) was a major focus of the conference. Joe Mulinare of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimated there are more than 300,000 serious
birth defects involving spina bifida and anencephaly yearly worldwide, but
that using folic acid could prevent 50% to 70% of these. The best solution in many countries is intake of folic acid through products made from
fortified flour. In the U.S., since folic acid was included in flour fortification
in 1997, NTDs have declined by 26%. Canada, Costa Rica and Chile have
shown declines in NTDs of 46%, 35% and 41%, respectively.
Other speakers noted that in the European Union (E.U.) knowledge of
the benefits of folic acid in wheat flour is increasing. Mandated use is
close to approval in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Ireland, and it is being
considered in other countries.
In the E.U., flour and cereals products fortification policy and standards are decided at a national level, according to Susan Fairweather-

Tait of the University of East Anglia.
Ireland and the U.K. are the only E.U. countries that fortify most of their
wheat flour. There are established standards in Spain and Poland, where
voluntary wheat flour fortification is encouraged. Finland has widespread
iron fortification of breakfast cereals. In Germany, Italy and Denmark, cereals processing companies must seek government permission on a case-bycase basis to add vitamins and minerals to their products. Anemia levels in
most wealthy European countries, though low by global standards, are still
considerably higher than in North America, where fortification with iron
has been practiced for decades. In Romania, iron deficiency anemia is more
pronounced than almost any other country in Europe, and bread consumption is also very high. The Romanian Minister of Health, Eugen Nicolaescu,
stated in his welcoming remarks that the public health authorities as well
as millers would use the conference to better understand the arguments
for fortification and begin to formulate a policy accordingly.
The relationship of food prices to fortification costs was addressed
by Scott Montgomery, vice-president of global procurement for Cargill,
who also acts as chairman of FFI's executive management team. His
presentation showed that typical fortification costs range from $1.50
to $6 per tonne of wheat flour, depending on the mix of vitamins and
minerals. He said the price of fortification was relatively small compared
to total flour cost.

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