En 1997, Santé Canada a obtenu l'appui de l'industrie alimentaire, notamment de l'Association canadienne de la boulangerie et de la Canadian National Millers Association, pour ajouter de l'acide folique à la farine dans le but de réduire les anomalies congénitales du tube neural chez les enfants.
In 1997, Health Canada requested and received support from the food industry, including the Baking Association of Canada and the Canadian National Millers Association, to fortify flour with folic acid as a means to help reduce neural tube birth defects in children.