
Members may have seen our recent article regarding the Government announcement that it will be made mandatory to add Folic acid to flour in the UK. This followed an agreement with the devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Following on from that announcement the Government are now seeking comments from industry, enforcement authorities, consumers and other interested stakeholders on if there is merit and demand for millers to sell unfortified flour onto the Northern Ireland market subject to it being destined for countries outside the UK or used in products destined to be sold outside the UK.
Currently millers in Northern Ireland cannot sell unfortified flour onto the Northern Ireland market. The Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 state that any non-wholemeal flour that is produced and sold in Northern Ireland must be fortified with calcium, iron, thiamin and niacin. However, the Regulations do not apply in respect any flour brought into Northern Ireland from an EEA State in which it was lawfully produced and sold.
The consultation will end on Monday 6th December 2021 and can be found here.