Indian-origin women fed radioactive rotis, claims UK study; MP calls for probe

A United Kingdom Opposition Labour Party MP and shadow minister for women and equalities called for a probe into an old study conducted on Indian-origin women in the 1960s, where they were reportedly fed “radioactive rotis” to fight iron deficiency.

The MP Taiwo Owatemi, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) saying that she is “deeply concerned” for those impacted by the study. The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

“My foremost concern is for the women and the families of those who were experimented on in this study,” said Owatemi. “I will be calling for a debate on this as soon as possible after Parliament returns in September followed by a full Statutory Inquiry into how this was allowed to happen, and why the recommendation of the MRC report to identify the women was never followed up so that they can share their stories, receive any support needed, and so that lessons are learnt,” she said.

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The news first surfaced in a BBC report which claimed that during a 1969 research trial about the iron deficiency in the city's South Asian population, around 21 Indian-origin women were given bread containing Iron-59, an iron isotope.

'Study to check anaemia'

The women were identified through a general practitioner after they had sought help from him for minor ailments. The researchers wanted to study the concerns over widespread anaemia among South Asian women and believed it was a cause of traditional South Asian diets.

Chapatis containing Iron-59, an iron isotope with a gamma-beta emitter, were delivered to participants' homes. They would later be invited to a research facility in Oxfordshire to have their radiation levels assessed.

Following the MP's allegations, an MRC spokesperson said an independent inquiry had examined questions raised. The council said the study proved that “Asian women should take extra iron because the iron in the flour was insoluble.” "The issues were considered following the broadcast of the documentary in 1995 and an independent inquiry was established at that time to examine the questions raised," the statement said.

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