The Food Standards Agency has made a recommendation to the Government that it should be made mandatory for bakers to add folic acid to our bread. Apparently, this is to help reduce the occurrences of spina bifida in new-born babies. It has long been known that folic acid plays a key role in foetal development, and this is why my wife, when pregnant with each of our boys, chose to take various vitamin supplements, including folic acid, throughout her pregnancy. Fair enough, spina bifida is horrible and anything we can do to reduce occurrences is good, but why do we need to add the stuff to our bread when mothers are advised to take it in supplements anyway? Can we not just prescribe supplements under the NHS and give them free to pregnant women?
Why am I bothered? Well, folic acid (which is a synthetic form of folate - a B vitamin) has been linked, albeit inconclusively, to an increased risk of cancer (as with so many things that scientists muck about with). Indeed, the US and Canada have been lacing flour with folic acid this since 1990 and there have been studies that show an increase in occurrences of bowel cancer during this period. Why do we have to copy everything the Americans do anyway? Their health system in particular is appalling! They won’t give out healthcare to anyone that can’t pay, but they will stuff their bread full of folic acid and their water full of flouride.
The human body cannot store folic acid, which is why daily supplements are important. However, it would seem that a small proportion of women do not follow the advice they are given and don’t take their supplements. Well, plenty of women also smoke when pregnant - an evil act of selfishness that results in infants being born with cravings for nicotine and other complications - must the entire population stop smoking then? Others don’t look after their bodies, eat a healthy diet or stop drinking alcohol. Should we make gym membership mandatory, close all McDonalds restaurants and ban drink? Hardly! And yet, because some women are stupid, all of us must be force-fed folic acid? Even the men. Are they serious?
Of course one of the reasons given in support of this is that many pregnancies are unplanned. Well, that may be true, but most women are aware pretty quickly that they have the proverbial “bun in the oven” and can therefore immediately start on a course of supplements.
No, that’s not good enough for the interfering powers-that-be, who feel that we as people cannot possibly act in a sensible manner and look after ourselves. No, they have to meddle.
So, because some pregnant women are incapable of accepting advice from qualified medical professionals, I now have to start eating bread laced with a potentially carcenegenic substance? No way! I’ll bake my own bread. I’ll even mill my own flour if I have to, but I sure as hell won’t start eating random ingredients by stealth simply because the FSA has decided it might be good for a small percentage of the population. And, seeing as we won’t be having any more children, my wife and kids won’t be eating it either.
