In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated that by January 1, 1998, all enriched grain products in the United States must be fortified with 140 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of grain. One slice of bread contains about 15 micrograms folic acid, and one cup of either enriched cooked pasta or enriched cooked rice contains about 90 micrograms folic acid. So, if you eat two slices of enriched bread and one cup of enriched cooked rice or pasta in a day, you are getting almost one-third of the folic acid you need each day from enriched grains.
Adding folic acid to bread seems to have helped increase folic acid intake in the US. But, there is still room for improvement. Currently, it is likely that only a few women receive adequate folic acid from grains alone. The FDA has been hesitant to add more folic acid to enriched grains for fear of masking vitamin B12 deficiency. Too much folic acid, over 1000 micrograms per day, may prevent detection of vitamin B12 deficiency (Botto et. al. 1999 and Czeizel and Dudás 1992).
Botto, L.D.; Moore, C.A.; Khoury, M.J.; Erickson, J.D. Neural Tube Defects. New England Journal of Medicine (1999); 341 (20): 1509-1519.
Czeizel, A.E., Dudás, I. "Prevention of the First Occurrence of Neural Tube Defects by Periconceptional Vitamin Supplementation." New England Journal of Medicine (1992); 327:1832-5.
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Last updated 15 Dec 2000
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