Voluntary fortification with folic acid in Spain: An updated food composition database.

Folic acid (FA) is a key vitamin in the prevention of many diseases including neural tube defects. In Spain, only voluntary FA food fortification is allowed and there is a lack of compositional data to assess the contribution of these products to population's dietary folate intakes. Since 2007, our group has been compiling and updating a FA fortified food composition database. FA levels were obtained from retailers in Madrid and information provided by manufacturers. FA was also quantified by an affinity chromatography-HPLC method. In the present study we recorded 375 products. Our results show a high variability in the declared FA levels amongst different products, and food groups, which is also dependant on the commercial brand. FA overages are commonly added by manufacturers to some fortified products. FA content label claims are missing in 64% of products. This database is a useful tool to manage FA fortified foods data but it is necessary to continuously update it for the sound evaluation and monitoring of population's FA dietary intakes.

Voluntary food fortification with folic acid in Spain: predicted contribution to children's dietary intakes as assessed with new food folate composition data.

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.

[Folic acid fortified foods available in Spain: types of products, level of fortification and target population groups]. / Alimentos fortificados con ácido fólico comercializados en España: tipo de productos, cantidad de ácido fólico que proporcionan y población a la que van dirigidos.

INTRODUCTION: Folic acid is a potentially relevant factor in the prevention of a number of pathologies (congenital abnormalities, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer and neurocognitive decline). This has led to the introduction of different strategies in order to increase folate intake: nutritional education, pharmacological supplementation and mandatory or voluntary fortification of staple foods with folic acid. In Spain there is a growing number of folic acid fortified products on a voluntary basis, but there is also a lack of reliable data to assess their impact on the population's dietary folate intakes. OBJECTIVE: To gather a better knowledge of folic acid food fortification practices in Spain. METHODS: A Food Composition Database was developed using data from a market study. Also, previously published data of unfortified staple foods from Food Composition Tables was reviewed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The Database included 260 folic acid fortified food items and it was periodically updated. Food groups included were primarily "Cereals and derivatives" (52%) followed by "Dairy products". Most of these foodstuffs lacked a target population for their consumption (37%) or were aimed at "Weight control" (28%) and "Children" (23%), but only 2% targeted women at a reproductive age. Number of unfortified foods included was 690. Fortification levels declared by manufacturers ranged between 15 and 430% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for folic acid per 100 g/ml, and simultaneous addition of B6 and B12 vitamins was observed in 75% of the products. Currently, Spain market offers a significant number of folic acid fortified products on a voluntary basis and at a level > or = 15% of the RDA per 100 g/ml or serving declared by manufacturers.