Folate boost

Focus Questions

  1. Discuss the issues raised in the BtN story with another student.
  2. What is folate?
  3. What foods contain folate?
  4. Why does the human body need it?
  5. Why is it particularly important for pregnant women?
  6. Why are bakers now adding folate to bread?
  7. Some people are against adding vitamins to food. Why?
  8. What other foods have vitamins or minerals added to them?
  9. Do you think adding vitamins or minerals to food solves health problems? Explain your answer.
  10. What do you reckon? Should people be able to choose whether they buy bread with folate added? Justify your response.

Fortifying food

Working in pairs, ask students to think about their own diet and ask them:

·  What food or drinks do they eat that have vitamins or minerals added?

·  List the vitamins or minerals added and the health benefits of each.

Provide them with a range of products that have been fortified with vitamins and/or minerals and ask them to record:

·  What the product is (eg breakfast cereal)

·  What vitamin or mineral has been added

·  Why it was added (What is the health benefit?)

Students then need to research key questions or issues relating to adding vitamins and minerals to food. As they go through their investigation, they will need to complete the following chart:

What do I know? / What do I want to know? / How will I find out? / What I have learnt.

Some key questions/issues to consider are:

·  What is meant by fortification?

·  What do food manufacturers have to do to fortify their products?

·  What are the common vitamins and minerals added to foods and what are the health benefits of each?

·  What is the difference between mandatory and voluntary fortification of foods? Give examples of each.

·  Explore what is meant by `potential health benefit’ and `will not result in harm’

·  What foods are generally chosen to be fortified?

·  Are junk foods being fortified and then promoted as a `healthy’ option?

·  What is mandatory iodine fortification and why is it being introduced?

Students can choose how they will present their research findings to the class in an effective way.

Further investigations

Investigate the following statement: `Adding vitamins and minerals to food would not need to occur if everyone ate a balanced diet’. Develop an argument for or against the statement.

Research and write a brief summary of food fortification in developing countries.

8 Related Research Links
ABC News – Foate the latest ingredient in bread
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/13/2684397.htm

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand – Folic acid
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/mediareleases/mediareleases2009/vitaminfolicacidmust4449.cfm

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand – Fortification
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodmatters/fortification/

Betterhealth – Spina bifida explained
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Spina_bifida_explained

Choice – Folate explained
http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=104455&catId=100406&tid=100008&p=1&title=Folate+(archived)

© ABC 2009