Folic Acid in Flour: a Chance to Do Health Policy Differently in Ireland

The government’s consultation on possibly adding folic acid to flour is an opportunity to do health policy differently and not make the mistakes of the past. My attention was grabbed by the Department of Health’s recent launch of public consultation into mandatory supplementation of flour with folic acid. Working in child health, there were two reasons why it caught my eye, the first being the benefit of folic acid supplementation in preventing neural tube defects like spina bifida and anencephaly.

The second reason was the value in engaging the public’s views on health measures. Public consultation is a move away from paternalism, which for too long has been a feature of healthcare. There was no public consultation in 1964 when fluoride was added to our water to reduce dental caries; objections to this measure from some people continue to this day. Consultation seeks to incorporate diverse perspectives and address specific barriers encountered by minority groups, which might otherwise be missed by experts.