Predicted contribution of folic acid fortification of corn masa flour to the usual folic acid intake for the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004.
BACKGROUND
Folic acid can prevent up to 70% of neural tube defects (NTDs) if taken before pregnancy. Compared with other race-ethnicities, Hispanic women have higher rates of NTDs, lower rates of folic acid supplement use, and lower total folic acid intakes.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to assess potential effects of fortifying corn masa flour with folic acid on Mexican American women and other segments of the US population.


METHODS
A model was developed by using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004 to estimate the folic acid content in foods containing corn masa flour if fortified at a level of 140 microg folic acid/100 g corn masa flour.


RESULTS
Had corn masa flour fortification occurred, we estimated that Mexican American women aged 15-44 y could have increased their total usual daily folic acid intake by 19.9% and non-Hispanic white women by 4.2%. Among the US population, estimated relative percentage increases in total usual daily folic acid intake with corn masa flour fortification were greatest among Mexican Americans (16.8%) and lowest among children aged 1-3 y (2%) and adults aged >51 y (0-0.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Analyses suggest that corn masa flour fortification would have effectively targeted Mexican Americans, specifically, Mexican American women, without substantially increasing folic acid intake among other segments of the population. Such increases could reduce the disparity in total folic acid intake between Mexican American and non-Hispanic white women of childbearing age and implies that an additional NTD preventive benefit would be observed for Mexican American women.
Hamner
Heather C
HC
Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. hfc2@cdc.gov
Mulinare
Joseph
J
Cogswell
Mary E
ME
Flores
Alina L
AL
Boyle
Coleen A
CA
Prue
Christine E
CE
Wang
Chia-Yih
CY
Carriquiry
Alicia L
AL
Devine
Owen
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005433:Flour; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017058:Mexican Americans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D016742:Preconception Care; D014481:United States; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult; D003313:Zea mays
D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005492:Folic Acid