Mandatory Fortifiication of wheat flour for bread making... (not really TMX)

[faffa_70]

yes mine aren't terribly keen on just spelt either 

[Sundari]

From the figure I understand the folic acid in bread will potentially prevent about 3 babies a year from spina bifida and 20 million Australians will have to eat it.

but mothers are told to take folic acid supplements, shouldn't this be their responsibility??

yet again we do stupid things to our health without thinking...

[Ceejay]

Then Ceejay that means that we can't avoid it whether we like it or not!! Now that bit I don't like!!

Got to love the democracy of choice huh? 

Organic bread flour is available but it's more than twice the cost of conventional here....

[faffa_70]

is there a web link or anything where we have the ability to voice our concerns and protest? Otherwise I might have to resort to letter writing

[cookie1]

Kathryn, I've done just that resorted to snail mail.  DD works in a government hospital and they have just been told that after the 3% cut backs they've made they now have to make another 10% now and 10% in the new year. Their hospital alone has to lose about 90 staff. They've all been offered redundancy!!!!!!! I pity the poor health system here, it's really going down the gurgler.  The message is don't get ill in WA.  I'm sure this will affect front line treatment. 23% cuts in 6 -7 months.

Sorry folks will get off my soap box now.

I agree about the folate. The prostate cancer figures alone are very scary.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

It won't be in organic flour.

Phew - bulk organic bread flour that is my big splurge once a month.  Very expensive, but still a lot cheaper than store bought organic bread.

[brazen20au]

SORRY SUNDARI

i tried to quote your post and accidentally posted my own post in yours and deleted yours

really shouldn't be posting under the influence (am on heavy duty painkillers while i wait for root canal work next week)

so sorry

[cathy79]

This was one of the reasons I am starting to make my own bread.  But if my bakers flour has it added, then I'm only part way there.  So I have to buy organic bakers flour?  Is that right?

Apparently this has been trialled in other countries (I can't remember which), and the rates of spina bifida etc increased because the pregnant mothers stopped taking the supplements.  So it had the opposite effect!

[cookie1]

Karen you poor lady, root canal work now. Good luck.  I'll send healing wishes over.

[~Narelle~]

the rates of spina bifida etc increased because the pregnant mothers stopped taking the supplements.  So it had the opposite effect!

Yes well that doesn't surprise me cause people will think they don't need the supplements and will rely on bread.  At some point I'll find out how much is added and work it out roughly per slice.

Interestingly I posted this on another forum I belong to and the majority are in favour!

[brazen20au]

yeah cookie, from what i'm reading though it's likely the ongoing sinus issues and the tooth issues are connected so hopefully all will be fixed shortly! then what will i blame for my vagueness? lol

[faffa_70]

Oh Karen I really feel for you (literally) 

Gee Cookie I can't believe that about the hospitals OMG and if the Govt has it's way be the look of things they are going to be making more people sick while they THINK they are trying to help 

I was sitting on the fence for a bit with this one and undecided about it, have now changed my mind

[cathy79]

Can I make my own baker's flour using TMX?  Where would I start?  I know it can "mill" but what should I mill?

[Karen3]

Hi Everyone,
A friend sent me her opinion about the mandatory fortification and it's quoted below.  This is just in case anyone wanted some more info.
Cheers
K3

"Thanks to Food Standards Australia & New Zealand - from 16 September, all (non-organic) breads & flours sold in Australia must be fortified with folic acid. Why? - to reduce the apparently increasing incidence of neural tubes defects  e.g. spina bifida.  Folic acid is only effective in preventing NTD when taken 1 month before conception & during the first three months of pregnancy - at the time most women find out they are pregnant (6 weeks), taking a supplement has little to no effect.  This is why the government has decided on a mass medication approach. Folic acid supplementation does not prevent all cases of NTD. Synthetic folic acid is not equal, equivalent to or better than folate (aka vit B9) from food.
 Negative effects of folic acid include double risk of prostate cancer, increased risk of bowel cancer, increased risk of neuroblastoma (a very nasty cancer in young children)
 FSANZ have, in their wisdom, chosen to ignore this and their website states "Based on the best scientific evidence, there is no apparent risk to public health and safety from the estimated increase in folic acid intakes due to mandatory fortification".  I beg to differ. There is so much information available.  Please just google (use google scholar if you want scientific articles) folic acid with the following terms:  mandatory fortification in bread/flour, neural tube defects, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, neuroblastoma, NORVIT trial, folate.  Even Wikipedia has an informative & balanced article on folic acid."

[faffa_70]

I am almost too scared to do the googling on those topics Karen