HL Deb 17 June 2002 vol 636 cc62-3WA
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 16 May (WA 67), what was the evidence which the Food Standards Agency studied which led it to the conclusion that the Medicines Now research published in the April edition is not valid. [HL4584]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

I assume that the noble Baroness refers to an article in the April edition ofMedicine Today which quoted government data gathered from a number of studies over a 50-year period. The data are valid for the purpose for which they were collected but they cannot be used to compare the mineral content of fruits and vegetables grown by traditional organic methods and those using artificial fertilisers. Further, for any such comparison to be valid, a number of confounding factors need to be taken into account, as indicated in my reply of 16 May (col. WA 67).

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the promotion of vitamin enhanced bread, as recently supported by the Food Standards Agency, should be regarded by parents as a substitute in the diet of their children for fruit and vegetables containing those vitamins; and, if so, how this affects their Five-A-Day programme. [HL4586]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The Food Standards Agency supports statutory fortification of bread and flour involving calcium, and iron, thiamin and niacin at restorative levels. It would not encourage fortification with additional minerals and vitamins as a substitute for a balanced diet containing fruit and vegetables.