The document discusses mandatory folic acid fortification of flour in Australia. It notes that while folate provides benefits, folic acid is synthetic and the human body may not efficiently metabolize it. There is concern that unmetabolized folic acid in the blood may have adverse health effects. The document argues that more research on safety is needed and that consumers and industry should work to ensure an objective review of mandatory fortification is conducted.

1. Mark Laucke
Laucke Flour Mills

2. Summary
1. Background
2. Folate and Folic Acid
3. Mandatory Fortification and
Consumers
4. We must Act

3. Background
• In 2001, the Australian prevalence of neural tube
defects (NTDs) was estimated to be 0.5 per 1,000 births.
• Authorities hypothesize that the timely consumption
additional Folate in the maternal diet may prevent about
10 to 30 NTDs per year.
• Folic Acid, a chemical construct, has been believed to
be more readily absorbed and beneficial than the Folate
derived from natural food.
Folate
Folic Acid

4. Background
• In 1996 in the U.S.A; the Food and Drug
Administration authorized that all enriched cereal
grain products be fortified with folic acid.
Optional fortification began in March 1996
Mandatory fortification (MFF) began in Jan 1998.
• Several other countries fortify flour with folic acid.
• Australia has followed this lead, with the process
of assessment and institution taking over 6
years, culminating our own unique Standard
becoming effective in September of 2009.
• There has been no effectively organised or
coordinated assessment of the possible
downside risks associated with MFF.

5. Background
• My wife and I, as consumers appreciative of their
business and product, were customers of a
leading Bakery in country NSW this last weekend.
• We queried whether folic acid was in their
products, and if so, which ones.
• The results of our enquiry were in line with my
expectation.
• The co-proprietor, a professed active member of
the State BIA, knew nothing of MFF, and was
unaware that all her foods contained folic acid.

6. What is Folate?
“Vitamin B Group” is a term applied to a group of 12 Food nutrients
once thought to be just the one nutrient.
These individual nutrients typically occur together in food.
There are 12 “vitamins” with the Group, 8 of which are classed as
Essential, and 4 of which are classed as Non-essential.
Vitamin B9 is Folate,
and it’s Essential.

7. Health Benefits of Folate
If there is a deficiency, the consumption of
additional Folate will provide:
• Healthier offspring of child-bearing
women, with a reduction in NTDs
• Prevention of a wide range of disease.

8. The metabolism of Folate
• Natural Folate is the form of the vitamin that
the human body has evolved to metabolise
most effectively.
• During the process of food digestion, natural
Folate is converted by the gut mucosa and
enzymes to 5-methyl TetraHydroFolate, which
is then absorbed directly in to the blood.
• At a cellular level, 5-methyl THFA is directly
and beneficially utilised by the body.

9. What is Folic Acid?
• Folic Acid is man-made.
• Folic Acid is a bright yellow,
crystalline,
water soluble substance
that is stable to heat,
but easily oxidized.
• It is mostly perceived to BE
Folate, with the terms mostly
used interchangeably.

10. Health Benefits of Folic Acid
• The same as Folate, IF folic acid can be
effectively and efficiently metabolised by the
human body in to 5-methyl THFA.
and it is a big IF

11. The metabolism of Folic Acid
• Folic acid is not a component of natural food, and humans
have apparently not evolved methods to effectively
metabolise it.
• Folic Acid is more quickly absorbed through the gut and in to
the blood than natural Folate, but it must then be further
metabolised.
• Synthetic Folic Acid is not metabolised in the same way as
natural Folate. Multiple and complex chemical conversion
steps are required to convert it to 5-methyl THFA.
• This process is performed in the liver, but the human liver is
very limited and individually very variable in its capability to
convert synthetic Folic Acid to 5-methyl THFA.

12. Folic Acid pathways

13. The Results that concern Consumers
Only very recently have researchers established that:
• through the low and individually variable rate of
conversion by the human liver, only a proportion of the
folic acid consumed each day can be metabolised in to
5-methyl THFA.
• With continued dietary consumption of fortified
foods, and with vitamin supplements, Folic Acid can
and does build up in the blood, and persist.
• This un-metabolised Folic Acid provides none of the
benefits of the Vitamin, and, even worse, is believed to
interfere with normal metabolic processes.

14. Is this Significant regarding
human health & Food Safety?
Depends on who you listen to, and what you read.
• The benefits of Folate have been established, and Folic
Acid has quite inappropriately “hung on its coat-tails”.
• Recent Research has associated:
– High levels of “Folate” (?) with significantly increased
incidence of cancer.
– the presence of persistent circulating un-metabolised Folic
Acid in the blood with several previously unsuspected
adverse health effects.
Most worrisome are epigenetic effects such as childhood
asthma, diabetes, autism.
• No one has yet demonstrated the safety of MFF, or of
persistent circulating un-metabolised Folic Acid.

15. However, there is significant
inertia associated with MFF
• There is tremendous inertia associated with
the global Flour Fortification Initiative (FFI).
• There is tremendous inertia associated with
the known benefits of “Folate”.
• Proponents for MFF brook no opposition to
their high moral ground.
• Industry is perceived as self serving.
• Government want to look good, save money.

16. The Foods
affected by MFF
Not just “bread”, being limited to products made
from a yeast raised dough....
• Most flour millers unable to differentiate
• Most bakers unable to differentiate
Therefore virtually all baked products contain folic
acid, as do most products that contain wheaten
flour...

17. Consumer
Awareness

18. Consumer
Awareness

19. Consumer
Awareness

20. Consumer Awareness

21. Consumer Reaction
• Individual consumers will react as individuals
based on their own perception of degree of risk.
They will progressively avoid your products.
• There can be no recovery whilst folic acid is
present in baked goods.
• Consumers as a group will inevitably and
inexorably change their eating habits, never to
return.
• Bakery earnings will diminish, jobs will be lost
• The Baking Industry will be increasingly
marginalised

22. Did consumers in react in USA?
(MFF commenced 1998)

24. All
Others
Female, chi
ld bearing

25. Can we ignore MFF
• NO. This is probably another “Thalidomide”.
• We will not be protected by our own
ignorance and inaction.
Instead, silence on our behalf will be later
construed by media and consumers as a
“cover up”.
• We are legally and practically expected to
provide Safe Food.
We have to ensure that we do.

26. What may be done?
We have an opportunity.
At a MFF Debriefing in Canberra on 9 March, FSANZ conceded
that, if due process had been followed, we would not have MFF
in the form that we now do. FSANZ offered to work more
effectively with Industry in the future.
Government practically concedes that all is not well with MFF, and
has promised a Review of MFF after 2 years.
We therefore must ensure that a Review of MFF and The Standard
does in fact occur, that it is objective and reasonable, and that
we obtain an outcome that reflects objectivity.
This will not happen of itself, given the fact that we have MFF in
place, and given the lobbying power of those who seek the
health outcome of fewer NTDs.

27. The Review must ensure:
• That all the risks associated with MFF are
properly and factually established.
• That MFF must be proven safe by appropriate
due process if it is to be continued.
• That there is no bias in reports and
recommendations to Ministerial Council.
• That Ministerial Council acts in accordance
with such recommendations.

28. How can we achieve
effective Review?
• We must change our mindset.
• We must become
Proactive, not Reactive.
• YOU must take ownership
and become involved.
• YOU must seek to exert
a high degree of control
over your future.

29. How can we achieve
effective Review?
• I encourage YOU as an individual to
seek out more information, and to
discuss MFF and its implications
widely throughout the industry and
community.
• I encourage YOU to work together
with your peers, with and through
the ASB, your Baking Industry
Associations, and the Australian
Food and Grocery Council; and to
either be or to empower appropriate
Representation of our needs to
Government.

30. Suggestions
Convene a Summit to deal with the Perceived, and Actual.
Instead of fragmented, uncoordinated and scattergun
approach, we must ensure that energetic
individuals, working in a co-operative and coordinated
manner, are able to distil and represent the needs of the
entire grains foods value chain to Government.
We must preferably work through the Australian Food &
Grocery Council (AFGC) to represent our needs to just a
single Food Minister instead of many.
We must immediately set up a Peak Body, able to
represent and use the clout of the entire Grains Foods
Value Chain. Government is awaiting this.

31. We must ensure that energetic and committed
individuals representing industry are actively
involved with key Governmental bodies, such as:
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
which has been tasked with the monitoring health
outcomes of MFF.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) which is
to conduct the Review, and make recommendations.
• Australia New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial
Council (Ministerial Council) which make decisions
about Standards.
• The Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC) which
provides recommendations to Ministerial Council.