New data could hit plans for folic acid fortification

This could affect the government’s decision to go ahead with mandatory folic acid fortification of bread flour, expected early next year when the results about the status of blood folate – the naturally occurring form of the folic acid vitamin – in the population become available.

The new findings from the Institute of Food Research and Newcastle University, came after damning animal research results published earlier this year, which claimed high-dose folic acid supplements could cause cancer.

Study​

Professor David Jones and his team at Newcastle University, said the new study indicated that over-the-counter synthetic folic acid supplements were not processed by the body in the same way as natural folates, which come from leafy greens.

Earlier this year, the government was urged by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which advises the Department of Health (DH), to press ahead with fortification of bread flour with folic acid to reduce the 900 cases of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida, in the UK each year. These numbers have not decreased significantly since 2007, when recommendations on fortification were first made.

Jones pointed out that countries with mandatory fortification, such as the US and Canada, had folic acid intakes three-times higher than the recommended amount. However, neural tube defects were up to 46% lower in these countries.

“This work doesn’t mean that folic acid is not safe. It suggests, however, that the assumption that it will be automatically safe because the body can handle it is not correct,”​ said Jones.

The study also showed that 86% of folic acid in blood vessels between the gut and liver was unmetabolised, unlike natural folate, which was fully metabolised.

‘Vital’​

“With a decision as important as the mandatory fortification of food, it is vital that we take the latest evidence into account,”​ said a DH spokeswoman. “We believe we need information on the blood folate status of the population, which will be available in 2015, to inform our decision.”​

Were the government to go ahead with folic acid fortification, this would not cause bakers operational problems, said Gordon Polson, director of the Federation of Bakers. “We’re still quite a long way away from any decision being made and we're not going to speculate,” ​he said.

If it does happen, folic acid would be added to flour in the same way that bread flour is currently fortified with other essential vitamins and minerals, added Poulson.