Grinded nails and bikes in your cereal

Last week, the Chair of the UK Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs – Professor David Nutt – was forced to resign. The Council was set up some time ago as an independent body to advise the UK Government on its drugs policy by providing evidence about the harmful effects of drug use. In particular, a drug classification system has been in use which is intended to reflect the level of harm of different drugs. Some years ago the UK Government ignored the advice of this panel and moved the classification of cannabis into a higher harm category to “send a signal” to users. Of course people at the time asked if there was evidence that doing this did deter users or not. I don’t think anyone knows and in fact some argue it might make it more attractive.

David Nutt had in the past criticised that decision and this week questioned the fact that alcohol and tobacco were not included in this classification system and suggested they were worse in terms of their harm to individuals and society than ecstasy, LSD or cannabis. He also suggested a new classification system. This seemed to be too much for the Government and they saw it has his attempt to change policy rather than just offer evidence-based advice and sacked him.

Here in the Netherlands we have a consumer program called 'De Keuringsdienst van Waarde', the title is a paraphrase on what in the UK is called the Food Standards Agency. The literal translation would be 'The value agency'. Four research journalist investigate every episode a specific type of food. E.g. orange juice, peas, onions, tea, etc. Two weeks ago, they had a topic on Kellogs Special K, with added iron. Ironically, the voice over said that the stuff of grinded nails and bikes is added to the cereal. They asked a food professor from Wageningen University, a family doctor and a chemist at Corus (the iron ore processing factory). None of them believed actual iron was added to the cereal. It must like iron in spinach, like Popeye.....or so they thought.

The journalists conducted tests (with metal detectors and magnets) and it turned out that the cereal indeed has magnetic properties. Then the fun really started. They added water to the cereal and put it in a blender. Next they put a magnet in a plastic bag and surprise, surprise, they found small iron particles. To the amazement of everybody, including the food professor, the family doctor and the chemist at Corus. Strangely, Kellogs did not want to answer questions on camera. The production process of cereal is proprietary information.....

Home movie to extract iron from your cereal

Time for serious research journalism. Why is metallic iron added to cereal? Is this good for public health and more important is this legal? All our Dutch food agencies (i.e. the government) point toward each other and then point to the EFSA (European Food and Safety Authority). (Note. Nobody checks for evidence). The EFSA doesn't know anything about approving nor stating that iron should be added to food, let alone metallic iron. In the final shot they are talking to the Dutch Food Authority who say, well if this is true, the product will be banned!

That was two weeks ago. A media storm broke out. Kellogs bought advertising space the next day, claiming that the program misrepresented the whole process of adding iron to food and actually blamed the journalists for bad journalism and slander.The voice over tells us that they were completely wrong with their metaphor two weeks ago about grinded nails and bikes, the should have said grinded cars... Kellogs has an iron supplier in Denmark who also supplies iron ore and powder to the car industry (a script writer could not come up with this...). All of course according to the highest standards....The food professor was on the receiving end of critique by his peers and was buried with reports and research. Only to find out that all the reports contradict each other! The poor man was intimidated and didn't want to participate in the program anymore. But, he had a collegue who would. This man clarified that adding iron to food stems from the USA, where it is mandatory by law since the second world war. The body can only absorp 9% (max.) of this type of added iron in an acid (the stomach) environment. But Kellogs claims it is needed because 40-60% of the men, women and children receive too little iron in their daily diet. It's good for you. They do it in the interest of the public and the claim their way is approved and our Dutch Food agency takes the side of Kellogs.... (so much for consumer trust in the authorities...).

It turns out that predecessors of the ESFA scientists (20 years ago) were highly doubtful of the effects of iron as food supplement. The never approved it. So, the health claim of Kellogs is false. And, in Denmark the practice of adding iron to food is forbidden by law, because people get sick and die as a result of to much iron in their food (hemochromatosis, type 2). Kellogs has a similar product (Special K) in Denmark, without the added iron. The cereal boxes look very much alike. We learn that Danish people are the only ones who think for themselves.... (sadly). The lady from the Danish consumers union states that supplements are abnormal and points out the obesity epidemic in Europe (and the USA). This episode ends with a chat at the dining table at the Dutch consumers union. They are appalled about the findings and are planning on launching a campaign against food supplements. The food professors announced new research. What is the scientific evidence of benefits from metallic iron as food supplement? One can only wonder what our politician will do. At least they can't fire the journalists.

To make a long story short, managers are certainly not the only ones in the dark about evidence based decision making. The poster boys for circumstantial decision making turn out to be the agencies who are there to protect the general population from health hazards.