title: Voluntary food fortification with folic acid in Spain: predicted contribution to children's dietary intakes as assessed with new food folate composition data.
abstract: The Spanish market offers a significant number of folic acid (FA) voluntarily fortified foods. We analysed FA and (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid ((6S)-5-CH3-H4PteGlu) content in ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) (n=68) and cow's milk (n=25) by a previously validated affinity chromatography-HPLC method. Contribution to potential FA intakes for children aged 2-13years, was assessed using food consumption data from a representative nationwide study, folate Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI), and Upper Levels (UL). Results showed that at all food fortification levels obtained, fortified products provided more than tenfold FA than (6S)-5-CH3-H4PteGlu. For RTEC, the high fortification level provided 6-21%, per serving, of RDI and ⩽32% of ULs at 90th percentile of RTEC consumption (P90). Milk products fortified at the higher level reached on average 54-136% of RDI per serving and only exceeded UL at P90 of milk consumption in children aged 2-5years.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y de la Alimentación, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Madrid, Spain. l.samaniego@ceu.es
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Samaniego-Vaesken
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alonso-Aperte
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varela-Moreiras
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid