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Review
. 2014 Apr:1312:8-14.
doi: 10.1111/nyas.12325. Epub 2014 Feb 3.

Fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States: an overview of the evidence

Heather C Hamner  1 , Sarah C Tinker
Affiliations
Review

Fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States: an overview of the evidence

Heather C Hamner et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2014 Apr.

Abstract

Corn masa flour, used to make products such as corn tortillas, is a staple food for Hispanic populations residing in the United States, particularly among Mexican Americans and Central Americans. Research has indicated that Hispanic women in the United States continue to be at a higher risk of having a neural tube defect-affected pregnancy than women of other races/ethnicities, even after the introduction of folic acid fortification of cereal grain products labeled as "enriched." Corn masa flour has, therefore, been suggested as a potential food vehicle for folic acid in the United States. This paper explores the potential impact that folic acid fortification of corn masa flour could have on the Hispanic population in the United States.

Keywords: corn masa flour; folic acid; fortification.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Total usual daily folic acid intake without (current) and with (modeled) folic acid fortification of corn masa flour for the United States population by race/ethnicity, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2008.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Total usual daily folic acid intake without (current) and with (modeled) folic acid fortification of corn masa flour among women aged 15–44 years by race/ethnicity and acculturation, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2008. MA, Mexican American.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Total usual daily folic acid intake without (current) and with (modeled) folic acid fortification of corn masa flour by race/ethnicity and acculturation among women aged 15–44 years, who report consuming only enriched cereal grain products, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2008. MA, Mexican American.
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Supplementary concepts