Media Release on Folic Acid Fortification from Lyall Thurston

Immediate Release 16 July 2009

Questions and Answers:

1. Why is Prime Minister John Key threatening to pull out of the commitment to fortify bread with folic acid?
Since the latest UK research has proven no risk to health from folic acid fortification (as reiterated by Food & Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson), his stance is purely political. The folic acid in bread initiative was fully supported by the National Party in its development when they were in opposition. This programme has taken 20 years to get to this point, since research first proved it was possible to reduce the incidence of NTDs by up to 70 per cent with folic acid supplementation.

2. Is there any risk to children with folic acid fortification?
There is no evidence of any risk to children from continued monitoring and research in the 57 countries that currently fortify. This initiative is fully supported by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand.

3. What are the actual statistics of the incidence of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs)?
According to NZ geneticists at least 10-15 children will be born with an NTD this year. At least twice that number (20-30) will be terminated at 20 weeks gestation, having been identified through ultrasound. That’s a classroom of kids every year for the past 15-20 years. The Food Standards Authority statistics (on which the Bakers’ Association response is based) are lower because FSANZ can only use data from the National Births Register, ie, live births. The claim that the incidence of NTDs has been decreasing is incorrect. Terminations have been increasing.

4. What are neural tube defects and why folic acid?
The most common NTD is spina bifida which occurs when the brain and spinal chord fails to form completely and 95 per cent of babies born with spina bifida also have hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). Another form of NTD is anencephaly – when the brain fails to develop and the baby is either stillborn or lives only a short time after birth. It is known that in the human body folic acid is converted to folate which helps enzymes to build DNA and RNA. Folic acid also appears to have a role in controlling the activity of genes.

5. How much bread would women have to eat?
They would continue to eat normally. Folate is found naturally in foods such as breakfast cereals, wholegrain breads, orange juice, green vegetables, eggs, fruit and yoghurt. The bread supplementation is as a top up, and to replace the natural folate milled and baked out of the bread during processing. This programme is based on good science and public health policy.

6. What is the latest research?
The most recent is an unpublished pooled analysis of all the randomised control trials of folic acid conducted by the Clinical Trials Service Unit at Oxford in the UK. It covers 35,000 individuals consuming high dosages of folic acid supplementation in countries around the world over the past 14 years. The results showed no evidence of increased risk for prostate cancer or colorectal cancer. Close monitoring and research will continue, as is standard with a preventive health programme.

The terms “mass medication” and “dosage” are inaccurate and offensive. This initiative is about vitamin supplementation to significantly reduce the incidence of a debilitating and often fatal birth abnormality.

ENDS

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