Defra has launched a UK-wide consultation on the Bread and Flour Regulations on the amount of folic acid to be added to flour.

Under the government’s proposals, the number of pregnancies affected by life-threatening issues such as spina bifida could fall by more than a fifth as the government moves one step closer to actively adding folic acid to non-wholemeal flour.

Following a consultation with industry and stakeholders on whether to add folic acid to non-wholemeal flour, a public health policy which has already been successful in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the government is now consulting on its proposal to add 250 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of flour.

The proposal on the amount of folic acid to be added to flour is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consultation on the Bread and Flour Regulations, which aims to ensure the regulations are consistent with other food standards legislation.

Neural tube defects are a rare developmental condition which occurs very early in pregnancy and affects around 1,000 pregnancies each year in the UK. This occurs when the brain, spine, or spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb and can cause life-threatening health issues.

Adding folic acid will mean foods made with flour, such as bread, will actively help avoid around 200 neural tube defects each year – around 20% of the annual UK total.

Defra Food Minister Victoria Prentis said:

“It is vital that we consult on this issue to understand views on all of our proposed amendments to bread and flour regulations.

Folic acid fortification is an example of how we can ensure the public receive the nutrition we require through everyday food products.”

The consultation opened on Thursday 1 September and closes on Wednesday 23 November. It is open to everyone and is available here: Amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

The Government Chemist published on 16 August 2022 a report on the findings of a stakeholder workshop carried out on 6 June 2022 at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London. The workshop was held to establish the key divers influencing the food and feed sector, to which the proposed Government Chemist Programme 2023-2026 should respond. Thirty stakeholders from across the food and feed sector, including representatives from manufacturers, distributors, retailers, importers, regulators, legal and government generated in excess of 320 ideas in the initial brainstorming phase. Participants then decided the following as priorities:

• Food authenticity and food fraud prevention
• Food security Food Law Alert Page 10 of 38 25/08/2022
• Alternative proteins
• Contaminants in novel foods, packaging and recycled materials
• Environmental claims / food labelling
• Gene Editing / GMOs
• Data capture, mining and effective use/misinformation
• Enhanced surveillance
• New regulations for novel foods
• Skills – gaps, availability and training

Other concerns highlighted, related to global food shortages, ethical kite marks/verification and ownership of new plant/genetic species (e.g., Nagoya protocol). Based on these identified priorities, the Office of the Government Chemist will prepare a draft future work programme for further prioritisation by BEIS appointed Programme Expert Group in November 2022, to allow contracting and start of the finally agreed programme in April 2023.

To read the report, click here.

 

WRAP have confirmed that their Food Waste Action Week will return for a third year and run from Monday 6^th March to Sunday 12^th March.

Love Food Hate Waste’s (LFHW) campaign ‘Win. Don’t bin’, is the UK’s largest food waste behaviour change campaign aiming to cut household food waste, slash food shopping bills and save the planet.

Objectives of Food Waste Action Week:

• The third annual FWAW will build on the success of this year’s campaign which was supported by80 organisations across 12 countries. In the UK alone, more than 8 million people heard about food waste during FWAW 2022, resulting in almost 55% taking action to reduce the amount of food they bin at home.
• Focusing on the theme of‘Win. Don’t bin,’ the 2023 campaign will demonstrate how valuable food is in our lives, how it unites people and how using up everything we buy saves money, time and the planet.
• The campaign aims to increase citizens’ confidence in‘using up leftovers’ by promoting a range of skills that can be easily adopted but potentially have the greatest impact on reducing food waste in the home.
• WRAP call onkey partners such as governments, local authorities, manufacturers, brands and retailers, and the hospitality and food service sector to amplify its messages and reach as many people as possible.
• International partners will be involved to ensure the campaign has an international impact.
• Ocado Retailhas committed to supporting the campaign as the first confirmed sponsor. WRAP is calling on other businesses to come forward and sponsor the campaign to help amplify the messages even further.

To find out more about the campaign, click here.