Symposium on vitamin D fortification in Australia

The issue of vitamin D fortification will be debated at a symposium in Melbourne next week. Australian and international experts will meet to discuss whether more vitamin D should be allowed into the Australian food supply to combat vitamin D deficiency.

A recent study found 31% of the Australian population is deficient in vitamin D, an issue that is further compounded by Australian skin cancer rates, which make safe sun exposure difficult. Vitamin D deficiency has also been found to have implications for bone health, cancer, cardiovascular disease and schizophrenia.

The symposium, organised by the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee for Nutrition and the International Life Sciences Institute SEAR Australasia, aims to demonstrate the urgent need to consider strategies to alleviate vitamin D deficiency in Australia.

Vitamin D fortification of key food types - as is the case in Canadian milk and margarine - is one proposed solution, as is allowing vitamin D to be added to a wider range of foods.

The symposium will take place from 9 am on Tuesday 12 June at the Deakin City Centre in Melbourne. The symposium program can be found here.