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Folate fortification: potential impact on folate intake in an older population

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 55, pages 793–800 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To examine the potential impact of different models of folate fortification of Australian foods on the folate intakes of older Australians.

Design: Dietary data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire from people attending a population-based health study.

Setting: Two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia.

Subjects: A total of 2895 people aged over 49 y, obtained from a door knock census (79% of 3654 subjects examined).

Main outcome measures: The folate intake in this population was estimated using four different models: (1) pre-fortification folate values; (2) current voluntary folate fortification in Australia; (3) universal fortification of all foods permitted to add folate, at 25% recommended dietary intake (RDI) per reference serve; and (4) universal fortification of all foods permitted to add folate, at 50% RDI per reference serve. The increased bioavailability of synthetic folic acid (SFA) was included in the analysis.

Results: At current voluntary folate fortification, approximately 65% of this population consume 320 µg dietary folate equivalents (DFE) or more per day from diet and supplements, and 0.4% (n=10) consume greater than the recommended upper safety level of 1000 µg from SFA. More than 95% of this older population would be expected to consume more than 320 µg DFE from diet and supplements with universal fortification at 50% of the RDI, and 0.5% (n=14) may consume greater than 1000 µg/day of SFA.

Conclusions: There is unlikely to be a large increase in the proportion of older persons who are likely to consume more than the upper safety level of intake with universal folate fortification. As most of those who currently or are predicted to consume over 1000 µg SFA take supplements containing folic acid, it is highly recommended that vitamin B12 be included in any vitamin supplements containing folate.

Sponsorship: This study was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 793–800

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the cooperation of the participants in our study. We also thank Masrura Kabir for assistance in dietary coding. This project was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

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Author notes

  1. VM Flood and P Mitchell: Guarantors: V Flood and P Mitchell.

  2. VM Flood, KL Webb, W Smith, P Mitchell, JM Bantick, R Macintyre, D Sindhusake and GL Rubin: Contributors: This project was developed using data from the Blue Mountains Eye Study. The research formed part of VF's PhD thesis, and was supervised by KW, WS and RM, with GR as senior member of the department. PM, WS and KW conducted the eye and nutrition study that provided the data. VF conducted the analysis and drafted the paper. WS and DS assisted with analysis. JB assisted with the initial nutrient database and analysis, and part of the paper formed JB's Master's research thesis. All authors were active in writing and editing the manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    VM Flood, JM Bantick, D Sindhusake & GL Rubin

  2. Departments of Public Health and Community Medicine and Biochemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    KL Webb

  3. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    W Smith

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    P Mitchell

  5. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, New Children's Hospital, Westmead, Australia

    R Macintyre

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  1. VM Flood
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Correspondence to VM Flood.

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Flood, V., Webb, K., Smith, W. et al. Folate fortification: potential impact on folate intake in an older population. Eur J Clin Nutr 55, 793–800 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601228

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601228

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