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. 2011 Aug;101(8):1360-4.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300135. Epub 2011 Jun 16.

Fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States

Alan R Fleischman  1 , Motoko Oinuma
Affiliations

Fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States

Alan R Fleischman et al. Am J Public Health. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Food fortification is an effective public health tool for addressing micronutrient deficiencies. The mandatory fortification of enriched cereal grains (e.g., wheat flour) with folic acid, which began in the United States in 1998, is an example of a successful intervention that significantly reduced the rate of neural tube defects (NTDs). However, despite the drop in NTD rates across all racial/ethnic groups after fortification, Hispanics continue to have the highest rates of this condition. One possible way to reduce this disparity is to fortify corn masa flour to increase the overall intake of folic acid in Hispanic women. We present the available evidence in favor of this approach, address possible safety issues, and outline next steps in the fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Neural tube defect prevalence by race/ethnicity for 25 surveillance programs: National Birth Defects Prevention Network, United States, 1995–2007. Note. Fortification refers to the 1996 US Food and Drug Administration mandate that by January 1, 1998, all enriched cereal-grain products (e.g., wheat flour and related products, corn meal, and rice) would be fortified with folic acid at 140 μg per 100 g of product.Source. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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