HC Deb 18 March 2002 vol 382 cc163-4W
Mrs. Helen Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral statement of 19 December 2001,Official Report, column 395, when and in what form the research on the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency and its diagnosis among adults over 65 years of age will be published. [40776]

Yvette Cooper

A common concern expressed in the Department of Health/Food Standards Agency consultation on folic acid was the potential risks for older people. It was therefore necessary to have more information on the potential risks before proceeding with any course of action. This included: an estimation of the prevalence of vitamin B 12 deficiency in older people aged 65 and above; the appropriate methodology for the diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency; the feasibility of routine identification of vitamin B 12 deficiency in older people.

This research was undertaken by Professor Grimley Evans and colleagues at the university of Oxford. The research was completed in August 2001. The results of the research are to be published in a peer-reviewed journal later this year.

Mrs. Helen Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits for disease prevention if vitamin B12 is added to folic acid in flour fortification. [40778]

Yvette Cooper

The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) recommendation (2000) on the fortification of flour with folic acid aimed to minimise the number of people having intakes of folic acid which may mask vitamin B12 deficiency.

The committee did consider combined fortification of flour with B 12 and folic acid. It would be necessary to fortify foods with very large amounts of vitamin B 12 to allow for the low absorption in people with pernicious anaemia, which is the chief cause of severe B12 deficiency.

COMA stated that At present there is inadequate information on the amount of vitamin B12 that would be required to prevent deficiency in the population, especially those with pernicious anaemia. Although there is no formal evidence of toxicity from vitamin B12, any exposure of the whole population to levels many times their usual intake or requirements should be considered with particular caution". Therefore, this option was not recommended.