title: Intake of dietary folate and folic acid in Germany based on different scenarios for food fortification with folic acid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Besides the adverse health effects of a low folate intake, the risks of high intakes of folic acid have moved into the focus. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential range of folate and folic acid intake of the German population under consideration of different fortification scenarios.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food consumption data of 13,926 participants of the German National Nutrition Survey II (NVS II), collected with two 24-h recalls, were used to calculate the nutrient intake. The nutrient data are based on the German Nutrient Database (BLS), information from a market survey and analyses of multivitamin juices. The scenarios were modelled without, as well as with low and high fortification levels of folic acid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median intake of dietary folate equivalents ranged from 191 µg/d (men) and 168 µg/d (women) without fortification to 425 µg/d (men) and 334 µg/d (women) in the highest fortification scenario. Thus, 12.4-68.2% (men) and 5.9-56.1% (women) met the 300 µg/d recommended by the nutrition societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the highest fortification scenario, 1.9% (men) and 0.8% (women) exceeded the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 1,000 µg/d folic acid given by the European Food Safety Authority. For supplement users, this proportion was 5.2 and 5.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only a high fortification of several foods leads to a marked increase of the proportion of population reaching the recommendation. Simultaneously, with a high fortification a higher proportion exceeds the UL, especially in combination with supplements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Behaviour, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Str. 9, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Martiniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Behaviour, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Str. 9, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Thorsten.Heuer@mri.bund.de.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heuer
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Behaviour, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Str. 9, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid
keywords: Dietary folate intake; Folic acid; Fortification; German National Nutrition Survey; Supplementation