Scandulous Inconsistency in Folic Acid Policy

Scandulous Inconsistency in Folic Acid Policy Exposed

After consultation with supplement manufacturers and scientists the Health Freedom NZ Trust has discovered inconsistencies within the Health Department. During the passage of the Therapeutic Products and Medicine Bill in 2006-2007, a staff member of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority was interviewed on Close Up. They passed the comment that they were keeping the upper level of 300 micrograms as recommended dosage in folic acid supplements - even though Ministry of Health recommendations for upper levels were 800 micrograms. Their reason stated on Close Up was because they did not trust supplement companies to get the right dosage in their product.

Close Up investigated how this inconsistency had the supplement industry hamstrung. Also how it particularly affected one New Zealand family. A pregnant Wendy Holgate had a five month scan and was told her child had severe spinal bifida. She was asked "wasn't she taking folic acid supplements?" She had indeed been taking the supplements but did not know the recommendation from the Ministry of Health was 800 micrograms per day. Supplements sold in the health stores are legally bound to have only 300 micrograms as the recommended daily allowance. Michelle Beckett of NZ Natural Products stated "By telling consumers to take three a day we'd be telling them to take for example 900 micrograms, which is well in excess of the legal dosage of 300 micrograms, so it's a double edged sword, you're telling them to take above the legal dosage in a dietary supplement."

Blending folic acid in a free flowing form to make pills is very difficult, requires specialised equipment and blending processes that supplement companies are well geared for, they are also registered for Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP). If NZFSA didn't trust supplement companies to get the dosage right, how can they now say they trust bakers, who have no experience in supplement manufacturing, no specialised equipment for blending folic acid, and no measuring system for consistency in doses for each slice of bread? And are they expecting bakers to register for GMP? Have NZFSA done sample testing to see how much folic acid is ending up in each and every slice of bread once it is baked? And what monitoring process is in place?

This is a clear case of profit interests interfering in public health policy that creates situations that adversely affect people's health. In Wendy Holgate's situation the life of her baby was endangered because government policy limits the daily recommend allowance of a critical nutrient in health supplements to only 300 micrograms.

The ridiculousness of the entire situation is that the very target market for folic acid fortification is young women. Statistically they are not big consumers of bread. Children, young boys in particular and men are. Putting folic acid in bread that everyone eats to target a group that are not big consumers of the product is nonsensical.

"Mass medication is simply not good public health policy. Our daily bread is not an appropriate delivery mechanism for medication. There are too many unresolved issues and questions around safety and efficacy never mind the issue of the immorality of mass medication. If in doubt, leave it out" says Ms Grace. " We applaud our Prime Minister's foresight and diligence in attempting to get us out of this mess" she continues.

"We need serious solutions to the problems we face across the board regarding the health of this nation. Health Freedom maintain that if we want to increase nutrient levels in our food we should be assisting our farmers to convert to organic farming and managing the soil holistically, while also improving health through education on the benefits of nutrition and individual supplementation."

ENDS

Our specific objection to this form of mass medication can be reached at http://www.healthfreedom.co.nz/safe-food.html

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