Scientific Opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on Updating the State of the Evidence on the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects through vitamin B9 intake

Abstract Following a request from the French Directorate General for Health, ANSES was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the state of the evidence on the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) by increasing vitamin B9 intake. The opinion estimates the prevalence of NTDs in France using data collected between 2012 and 2021 from five French registries reporting a mean prevalence of 13.5 per 10 000 births. The efficacy of vitamin B9 supplementation and food fortification was evaluated by conducting systematic reviews of human studies. The opinion also provides a comparative analysis of international vitamin B9 fortification strategies, followed by simulations to assess fortification levels and their potential to reduce inadequate vitamin B9 intake in France. The Expert Committee and ANSES concluded that fortifying flour (both refined and whole grain) with 200 μg of folic acid per 100 g would enable 90% of women to meet the Dietary Reference Value for adults and ensure a mean intake exceeding the adequate intake of 600 μg/day of dietary folate equivalents during pregnancy. However, this measure would not replace the recommendation for women to take a folic acid supplement (400 μg/day) from the moment they try to conceive until 12 weeks of pregnancy. ANSES further recommended initiating a public consultation of all the stakeholders.

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Publication Details

Journal
Food Risk Assess Europe
Published
2025-10-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2903/fr.efsa.2025.fr-0073
Primary Topic
Folate and B Vitamins Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Scientific Opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on Updating the State of the Evidence on the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects through vitamin B9 intake

Cécile Betry, Emmanuelle Kesse‐Guyot, Olivier Steichen, Corinne Malpuech‐Brugere et al.
Food Risk Assess Europe
Folate and B Vitamins Research
article

Scientific Opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on Updating the State of the Evidence on the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects through vitamin B9 intake

Cécile Betry, Emmanuelle Kesse‐Guyot, Olivier Steichen, Corinne Malpuech‐Brugere, Annabelle Bédard, Charlotte Beaudart, Julie Boudet‐Berquier, Jiang Tao, Jean‐François Huneau, Perrine Nadaud, Aurélie Goncalves, Anne‐Sophie Rousseau, Noémi Berlin, Clara Benzi‐Schmid, Ruddy Richard, Julia Baudry, Patrick Borel, Christine Feillet‐Coudray, Clémence Thébaut, Jérôme Gay‐Queheillard, Thomas Mouillot, Aymeric Dopter, Christine Morand, Yann Le Bodo, Aurore Coudray, Karine Fiore, Blandine de Lauzon‐Guillain, Stéphane Walrand, Karine Adel‐Patient, Irène Margaritis, Nathanaël Lapidus, Ariane Dufour, Vincent Bitane, Brice Laurent, Rym El Rafei‐Julia
article en

Abstract

Abstract Following a request from the French Directorate General for Health, ANSES was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the state of the evidence on the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) by increasing vitamin B9 intake. The opinion estimates the prevalence of NTDs in France using data collected between 2012 and 2021 from five French registries reporting a mean prevalence of 13.5 per 10 000 births. The efficacy of vitamin B9 supplementation and food fortification was evaluated by conducting systematic reviews of human studies. The opinion also provides a comparative analysis of international vitamin B9 fortification strategies, followed by simulations to assess fortification levels and their potential to reduce inadequate vitamin B9 intake in France. The Expert Committee and ANSES concluded that fortifying flour (both refined and whole grain) with 200 μg of folic acid per 100 g would enable 90% of women to meet the Dietary Reference Value for adults and ensure a mean intake exceeding the adequate intake of 600 μg/day of dietary folate equivalents during pregnancy. However, this measure would not replace the recommendation for women to take a folic acid supplement (400 μg/day) from the moment they try to conceive until 12 weeks of pregnancy. ANSES further recommended initiating a public consultation of all the stakeholders.

Food Risk Assess EuropeVol. 3(4)
University of Liège (BE), Université de Bourgogne (FR), Université Clermont Auvergne (FR), AgroParisTech (FR), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble (FR), Sorbonne Université (FR), Unité de Nutrition Humaine (FR), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (FR), Santé Publique France (FR), Département Alimentation Humaine (FR), Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (FR), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR), Technologies pour la Santé (FR), Maternité Port Royal (FR), Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations (FR), Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (CH), CHU Dijon Bourgogne (FR), EconomiX (FR), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Clermont-Ferrand (FR), Institut Pierre Louis d‘Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (FR), Translational Innovation in Medicine and Complexity (FR), Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne (FR), Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier (FR), Institut thématique Santé Publique (FR), Unité de recherche sur les maladies cardiovasculaires et métaboliques (FR), Institut d’Epidémiologie Neurologique et de Neurologie Tropicale (FR), Institut de Biologie et Technologies (FR), Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (FR), Périnatalité & Risques Toxiques (FR), Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation (FR), Institut d’Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique (FR), Nîmes Université (FR), Université de Picardie Jules Verne (FR), Université de Limoges (FR), Université de Nîmes (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 56%
Folate and B Vitamins Research
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