Armenia’s Public Council proposes postponing mandatory wheat flour enrichment

The Public Council expressed their view regarding mandatory wheat flour enrichment. The Council reported that they have held many discussions with interested parties and experts, as well as smaller meetings with the Public Council board.

Given the fact that the scientific part is important for the solution of the problem, the Public Council applied to the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia to discuss the issue and submit their position.
After all these discussions the Public Council concluded:

1. The method of project implementation proposing to solve the health problem of the target population with involvement of the whole population isn’t appropriate and reasonable. It can be harmful for certain people as there are contradictory scientific researches and opinions. Local peculiarities of the region aren’t examined to the full extent.
2. There is no serious research on the dosage, according to which certain dosage will be effective for the layer of society that needs it without harming the others. It isn’t clear how the dosage should be determined, when there are people who don’t use bread, yet for others it is a main food. The mechanisms controlling the dosage are not clear either.
3. The Ministry of Health of Armenia is trying to implement this project promoting the idea that this is an issue for specialist consideration, and the public isn’t able to perceive it, while it is known that there are disagreements on the issue across the world. Finally, even if the project is useful and right, it isn’t advisable to implement it with negative opinions of the majority of the public. First of all, the public should be convinced with fundamental arguments that the project is effective and doesn’t pose any danger, and then only implement it.

Given these concerns, the Public Council believes it appropriate:
a) To postpone the implementation of the project, until serious scientific research and examinations are carried out,
b) To produce certain amounts of enriched flour bread with a special label and to carry out explanatory work for the target group to use it.