Ministers have delayed a decision on whether to fortify UK flour with the vitamin folic acid, because a research study in America seemed to suggest that bowel cancer rates have risen since flour fortification there.
Sir Liam Donaldson, England’s Chief Medical Officer, has requested further expert consideration before the government gives the final go-ahead for mandatory fortification.
This is disappointing news for ASBAH as the possible link between high levels of folic acid and bowel cancer was studied in detail by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) last year.
There is considerable evidence that folic acid helps to prevent bowel cancer, but there may also be cases of pre-existing benign tumours where very large doses of folic acid might stimulate the tumour.
Flour fortification would not provide large doses and ASBAH believes the Food Standards Agency (FSA) review will confirm its advice in favour of compulsory fortification.
Since hearing of the delay ASBAH has worked urgently with top international experts to evaluate the evidence and its review shows that far from causing cancer, folic acid has an overall preventive effect.
A letter from ASBAH, co-signed by its expert colleagues, has been sent to the world respected medical journal, “The Lancet”.
ASBAH’s Chief Executive Andrew Russell said: “We hope that this will convince a government expert group, which will meet in January, to review the evidence and advise the FSA on folic acid policy to go ahead with fortification.
“The intervention of the Chief Medical Officer is an unwelcome delay because there is no new medical evidence in recent reports.
“We’re in touch with the FSA and it agrees that recent press activity and the new research report don’t give any cause to change the advice. SACN looked closely at all the evidence, including cancer incidence, and unanimously recommended fortification.”
