The Government told manufacturers to add a little folic acid in white bread to cut the number of infants born with spinal problems.

Making folic acid - a compulsory ingredient in bread could prevent at least 300 babies a year developing spina bifida and other birth defects, The Daily Mail reports.

Women wanting to start a family, and in early pregnancy, are advised to take folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects, but uptake is low. Fewer than one in three women do so before becoming pregnant, according to research earlier this year, and there is a lack of the vitamin in their diets.

There have been concerns that such a policy might promote ‘mass medication’ of the population, and it could be harmful to some. It may mask a vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly, which can seriously damage the nervous system, and it may be linked to bowel cancer.

Health minister Earl Howe said the Government had been waiting for information on the ‘folate status’ of the population from the national diet and nutrition survey, which would report how much B9 people absorb naturally.