[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 17 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 17

     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
Commissioner of Food and Drugs should evaluate the scientific evidence 
  on the question of whether to add more folic acid to enriched grain 
  products and expand folic acid fortification into cornmeal and corn-
   based food products to help prevent further serious birth defects.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2011

Mr. Sessions submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
Commissioner of Food and Drugs should evaluate the scientific evidence 
  on the question of whether to add more folic acid to enriched grain 
  products and expand folic acid fortification into cornmeal and corn-
   based food products to help prevent further serious birth defects.

Whereas under section 401 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
        341), standards of identity define what a given food product is and the 
        ingredients that must be used;
Whereas a standard of identity for folic acid fortification for enriched grain 
        food products has been promulgated;
Whereas the Food and Drug Administration (``FDA'') adopted the current folic 
        acid enriched grain food fortification standard of identity in 1998, 
        based on the best available scientific evidence, and newer scientific 
        studies have shown that the current fortification level is not 
        effectively reducing the prevalence of preventable serious birth 
        defects;
Whereas the scientific consensus is that 70 to 76 percent of serious birth-
        defect births are preventable if women of childbearing age consume 400 
        micrograms of folic acid per day, and a higher level of folic acid 
        fortification can help prevent heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's 
        disease, and some cancers in men and women;
Whereas since the FDA adopted the current folic acid fortification standard of 
        identity, many peer-reviewed scientific studies have been published and 
        have been reviewed by a distinguished group of leading birth-defect 
        scientists and researchers;
Whereas these scientists and researchers have concluded that the question of 
        whether to add more folic acid to fortified grains and to corn-based 
        products is too important to public health to remain unexamined by the 
        FDA;
Whereas studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown 
        that 60 percent of women are not taking supplements to increase their 
        folic acid intake;
Whereas birth-defect prevention education remains alarmingly low;
Whereas surveys since 1998 have found that only 24 percent of women of child-
        bearing age know that folic acid helps prevent a birth-defect birth and 
        that, among those who do know, only 40 percent know that 400 micrograms 
        should be consumed every day; and
Whereas the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the 
        United States Public Health Service, the March of Dimes, the Spina 
        Bifida Association, and other groups have recommended that the FDA 
        revise the current standard on folic acid enriched grain to reflect the 
        new scientific evidence: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Commissioner of Food and Drugs should evaluate the scientific 
evidence on the question of whether to add more folic acid to enriched 
grain products and expand folic acid fortification into cornmeal and 
corn-based food products to help prevent further serious birth defects.
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