FSA must put its cards on table now

Over the last few months, I’ve been asking the Scottish Government to obtain confirmation from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to clarify the safe vitamin D levels for the general UK population from the latest FSA’s  research in Scotland.

To date the FSA is the only UK organisation to carry out vital research on safe vitamin D levels for the general UK population.

Despite the FSA’s own experts publicly saying 1000iu to be deemed to be completely safe for the general population with no risk, the FSA has stalled on publishing its results from its own research carried out in Aberdeen. To make matters worse, on a BBC program on Sunday 1st August 2010, the FSA said that it may take another  4 years to decide to make a decision.

I am 15 years of age, and if I can reach a reasonable conclusion that 1000iu of vitamin d is safe after reading all the evidence available to me, it would take less than 24 hours for the FSA experts to reach a similar conclusion. So I have to ask what is going on?

It is a completely ridiculous situation. The top neurological scientists and MS experts say vitamin D could prevent MS – yet a Food Standards body who have the evidence to hand, and delaying a solution to possibly prevent MS for people all around the world.

I plead with the FSA to publish its research results immediately. We need to open the publics eyes to the amount of vitamin D they require. The FSA’s stalling is only going to put more kids at risk from diseases such as MS. While the FSA experts continue to delay and debate, we kids live each and every day with the results from the lack of action on vitamin D deficency taken by the UK Government and organisations like the FSA.

No more delaying – its time for action.

Ryan Mclaughlin

Shine on Scotland Campaign