384 Folate and folic acid content of enriched grain products.

S. E. GEBHARDT (1), P. R. Pehrsson (1), R. R. Eitenmiller (2), and J. M. Holden (1). (1) Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS, USDA, Riverdale, MD 20737; (2) University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.

Enriched grain products were required to have folic acid added as of January 1, 1998. To reflect this change in folate content of flour, cornmeal, farina, rice, pasta, bread, rolls, and buns in the 1998 release of the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the enrichment levels specified in the regulation were used. The folate values for foods containing enriched grain products were calculated based on their content of the basic enriched grain products. Our intent is to replace these values with analytical values as they become available. In April 1998, the Food and Nutrition Board issued a report on Dietary Reference Intakes for B vitamins including folate. The recommendations for folate were reported as Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE); micrograms (mcg) of DFE = [mcg of food folate + (1.7 × mcg of synthetic folic acid)]. In order to calculate the folate content of an enriched grain product in DFEs, it is necessary to know the mcg of naturally occurring folate and of added folic acid. Samples of rice, macaroni, spaghetti, and flour were obtained using a nationwide sampling plan and market share data. The samples were analyzed by a trienzyme microbiological method using Lactobacillus rhamnosus to measure total folate content and a microbiological method using Enterococcus hirae to measure folic acid content. The naturally occurring folate content was calculated by difference. Results are presented.