Koren G
University of Toronto.
Can Fam Physician. 1999 Nov;45:2605-6.
I read last year that Canada has followed the United States in fortifying flour with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. Do we know yet whether this strategy is working?
In Canada, flour is fortified with folic acid to a level of 0.15 mg/100 g. Although a mandatory date was set for November 1, 1998, most if not all companies implemented the change on or before January 1, 1998. Recent figures from the United States, where the deadline for fortification was January 1998, show that by March 1999, mean folate levels in flour doubled, substantially decreasing the risk for neural tube defects.
我去年读到，加拿大效仿美国在面粉中添加叶酸以预防神经管缺陷。我们现在知道这个策略是否有效吗？
在加拿大，面粉中叶酸的添加量为0.15毫克/100克。尽管规定的强制实施日期是1998年11月1日，但大多数（即便不是全部）公司在1998年1月1日或之前就进行了更改。美国的强化截止日期是1998年1月，其近期数据显示，到1999年3月，面粉中的叶酸平均含量翻了一番，大幅降低了神经管缺陷的风险。
