Addition of vitamins and minerals to food
(Australia only)
The addition of vitamins and minerals to food is often referred to as fortification. Food manufacturers may only add vitamins and minerals to food if permissions exist in our food regulations. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) develops food regulations.
The Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (Food Ministers) has agreed that food manufacturers can add vitamins and minerals to food where there is evidence of a potential health benefit and fortification will not result in harm. This is outlined in the Policy Guideline ‘Fortification of Food with Vitamins and Minerals’, available from the Food Regulation Secretariat Website HERE
Is there a difference between mandatory fortification and voluntary fortification of foods?
Yes. Mandatory fortification is where food manufacturers are required to add a certain vitamin or mineral to a specified food or foods. These are added in response to a significant public health need, for example, manufacturers must add vitamin D to margarine and thiamin and folic acid to wheat flour used for making bread in Australia.
Voluntary fortification allows food manufacturers to choose what vitamins and minerals they add to food, providing they are permitted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code). For example breakfast cereals are allowed to be fortified with a range of vitamins and minerals.
Where in the Code are the regulations that allow vitamins and minerals to be added to food?
Most of the vitamin and mineral permissions can be found in Standard 1.3.2 - Vitamins and Minerals. There are other standards that also include requirements and permissions for adding vitamins and minerals to specific foods. For example, Standard 2.1.1 – Cereals and Cereal Products requires the addition of thiamin and folic acid to wheat flour for making bread (Australia only) and the replacement of salt with iodised salt in bread. Also Standard 2.4.2 – Edible Oils Spreads requires the addition of vitamin D to margarines and oil spreads (Australia only), and Standard 2.6.4 – Formulated Caffeinated Beverages permits manufacturers to voluntarily add certain vitamins to formulated caffeinated beverages. Standard 2.6.2 -Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Brewed Soft Drinks permits manufacturers to voluntarily add fluoride to bottled water. Permission to add calcium to chewing gum (<0.2% residual sugars, often referred to as sugar free chewing gum) is contained in Standard 2.10.3– Chewing Gum.
There are also standards in Part 2.9 of the Code that permit or require vitamins and minerals to be added to ‘Special Purpose Foods’. Examples of these types of foods include infant formula, meal replacements and supplementary foods. The Code is available on the FSANZ website.
How will consumers know if a vitamin or mineral has been added to their food?
Manufacturers must list the added vitamin or mineral on the labels of food containing the vitamin or mineral. Unpackaged food or food that is made and/or packaged at the point of sale is not required to have ingredient label information. This information may be available on request.
Mandatory fortification
Mandatory folic acid fortification
Since September 2009, Australian millers must add folic acid (a form of the B vitamin folate) to wheat flour for making bread. This means most bread in Australia will contain added folic acid. Mandatory fortification with folic acid does not apply to flour represented as ‘organic’ This Standard is available HERE
The aim of this Australian Government initiative is to reduce the number of neural tube defects (NTDs) (which are severe birth defects such as spina bifida) in the Australian population by increasing folic acid intakes in women who may become pregnant.
FSANZ comprehensively assessed the potential health benefits and risks from increasing intakes of folic acid across the population. Based on all available scientific evidence, adding folic acid to wheat flour for making bread in Australia is safe for the whole population. We are continuing to monitor emerging scientific research on folic acid and public health and safety. No new evidence has emerged to change our original conclusion that mandatory fortification with folic acid is safe.
We predict mandatory folic acid fortification will reduce the number of NTD affected pregnancies by 14-49 per year in Australia. However, other initiatives for reducing the incidence of NTDs continue to be important. These include encouraging women who may become pregnant to take folic acid supplements and continuing existing voluntary fortification of food with folic acid e.g. breakfast cereals.
Consumers are able to identify foods with added folic acid (may be labelled as folate) by checking the ingredient list on the label of packaged foods. Ingredient information for unpackaged bread and bread that is made and/or packaged at the point of sale may be available on request.
Australian health authorities will be monitoring the effectiveness of the increased levels of folic acid in the food supply. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has the overall coordinating role for monitoring mandatory fortification. The FSANZ website has information for the following groups:
- information for consumers can be found here
- information for health professionals can be found here
- information for industry can be found here
Background scientific information on the development of the mandatory folic acid fortification Standard can be found in Proposal P295 – Consideration of mandatory fortification with folic acid.
The New Zealand Government has deferred the implementation of mandatory folic acid fortification in New Zealand until 2012. Further information is available at http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz
Mandatory iodine fortification
Since October 2009, most bread in Australia and New Zealand must contain added iodine (from iodised salt). The Standard requires the bakers to replace non-iodised salt with iodised salt in bread; however bread represented as ‘organic’ is exempt, consistent with the mandatory folic acid fortification Standard.
Mandatory iodine fortification of bread will help address iodine deficiency across much of the Australian and New Zealand population, and prevent it from becoming more serious in the future. Iodine is especially important for the unborn baby.
In considering mandatory fortification of food with iodine, FSANZ comprehensively assessed the potential health benefits and risks of increasing iodine intakes across the population. Based on all available scientific evidence, replacing salt in bread with iodised salt in Australia and New Zealand is safe for the whole population.
Mandatory iodine fortification will provide sufficient amounts of iodine for most people. However, it will not meet the increased requirements of many pregnant and breastfeeding women. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that all women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or considering pregnancy, take an iodine supplement of 150 micrograms (μg) each day. Women with pre-existing thyroid conditions should seek advice from their doctor before taking a supplement. Kelp and seaweed supplements are not recommended as they contain varying amounts of iodine. Further information on iodine supplementation for pregnant and breastfeeding women is available on the NHMRC website.
As with the mandatory folic acid fortification Standard, we are also working with government and state and territory jurisdictions to monitor the effects of mandatory iodine fortification.
We are working with government and other health agencies to inform the public about mandatory iodine fortification.
- information for consumers can be found here
- information for health professionals can be found here
- information for industry can be found here
Further information on the development of the mandatory iodine fortification standard is available in Proposals P230 – Iodine fortification and P1003 – Mandatory iodine fortification for Australia.
© Food Standards Australia New Zealand 2010
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