Folic acid: an update on scientific developments

ISBN: 978-92-9199-178-5
Publication date: April 2010

Available in English

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Introduction

In 2008, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established an EFSA Scientific Cooperation Working Group (ESCO WG) on the "Analysis of risks and benefits of fortification of food with folic acid", with the aim of sharing experiences and concerns regarding folic acid food fortification amongst Member States.

The ESCO WG on folic acid was asked to consider the following issues as part of their terms of reference:

• To review current practice in Member States regarding the level of voluntary fortification of foods and categories of foods to which the addition of folic acid is allowed.
• To consider new evidence regarding the risk of high intakes of folic acid and the need for a review of current guidance on safe upper levels of folic acid for all population groups.

EFSA and the Swedish National Food Administration organised a scientific meeting on "Folic Acid: An Update on Scientific Developments", in Uppsala, Sweden, on 21-22 January 2009. The aim of the meeting was to consider the evidence regarding folic acid and risk of cancer.

Over 60 scientific experts from the European Union (EU), Switzerland, the United States and Canada attended the meeting to assess the latest scientific evidence on the possible relationship between dietary intakes (including fortified foods and food supplements) of folate and folic acid, and cancer risks, including cancer of the colon, breast and prostate.

All the available scientific evidence concerning folate metabolism, animal and mechanistic studies, and human studies was reviewed and discussed. In group discussions, experts considered whether it was possible: to identify an association of folic acid intake with risk of cancer; the population groups concerned; dose-response relationships; the different dietary sources of folic acid; and whether the available data were sufficient to allow a quantitative risk assessment. Areas for further scientific research were also identified.

Since the completion of this report, further papers on folic acid and cancer risk have been published. Only papers and presentations presented at the meeting are considered in this report.