In fact, researchers suggest that mandatory food fortification may have an ‘overdosing’ effect. Results were published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.
“We set out to explore how much unmetabolised folic acid is present in Irish people exposed to the current range of ‘voluntarily’ fortified foodstuffs, and to predict the increase in levels should a policy of mandatory fortification be introduced,” said Mary Rose Sweeney, who led a team of researchers who studied 50 blood samples from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and from 20 mothers and 20 infants’ umbilical–cords, from Coombe Women’s and Infant’s University Hospital, Dublin.
She also noted that a recent study suggested excessive folic acid consumption may increase the risk of prostate cancer and more severe adenorectal carcinoma recurrence.
Folic acid and other micronutrients have been added on a voluntary basis to breakfast cereal, bread and other products in the Republic of Ireland for more than 15 years to remedy perceived inadequate intake. The Food Safety Authority in Ireland is currently discussing whether to make such fortification mandatory. In this study, researchers found that circulatory unmetabolised folic acid was present in the majority of their sample. They write, “This implies constant exposure of both normal cells, and potential tumour cells, to this pro-vitamin amongst Irish consumers. In terms of the predicted increase that will arise if mandatory fortification goes ahead, we predict the increase to be in the region of 12%.”
The consequences of increased consumption of folic acid are still unknown, but, according to the researchers, “This should continue to be of concern for those with responsibility for drafting legislation in this area.”