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Written question asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Warner (Labour) on Friday, 24 March 2006.

Fluoride

Question
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 2 February (WA 68–9), why they believe that the ““intakes of fluoride above the safe level””, which they cite from the report of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2003, are not unsafe; and what meaning should then be attached to the words ““above the safe level””.
Answer

The authority cited in the discussion of ““safe intake of fluoride”” in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey report is the Department of Health report on Health and Social Subjects 41, Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients in the United Kingdom. This report was first published by HMSO (London) in 1991, but a revised edition (the sixth impression) was published in 1994 (ISBN 0 11 321397 2). Paragraph 36.8.3 of that edition explains:"““After 6 years of age it is no longer possible for further exposure to fluoride to give rise to cosmetically significant [dental] mottling but the dental benefit from continued exposure persists. An adult weighing 60kg, drinking 1.1 litres of fluoridated water daily, and ingesting’ 2mg fluoride from food would have a daily fluoride intake of 0.05mg/kg body weight (3mg/day). This exposure is less than those associated with skeletal fluorosis and has not been shown to be associated with adverse effects. Intakes of fluoride of 0.05 mg/kg body weight daily in children aged over 6 years and in adults are therefore safe. Consumers of exceptionally large quantities of tea, in areas with fluoridated water, may have fluoride intakes several times greater (estimated as up to 12 mg/day in a 60 kg adult or 0.2mg/kg/day). Fluoride may be less readily absorbed from tea than from water, but nevertheless the absence of any reports of adverse effects from such exposures in the UK indicates that there is a further wide safety margin above the more usual intakes in fluoridated areas. The systematic review of water fluoridation undertaken by the University of York in 2000 found no evidence of an association between fluoridation and either infant mortality, congenital defects or IQ, but recommended that further high quality research was conducted. We are committed to a programme of further research into the effects of fluoridation on health.””"

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4508; 680 c87-8WA
Session
2005-06
Related items
Health: Fluoridated Water
Thursday, 2 February 2006
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects
Consumption Health hazards Drinking water Fluoride
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk