Food Standards: Amendment of Standards of Identity For Enriched Grain Products to Require Addition of Folic Acid

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the standards of identity for several enriched grain products and, by cross-reference, the standards of identity for enriched bromated flour, enriched vegetable macaroni, and enriched vegetable noodle products, to require the addition of folic acid. The agency is requiring that these products be fortified with folic acid at levels ranging from 0.43 milligrams (mg) to 1.4 mg per pound (mg/lb) or 95 micrograms (g) to 309 g/100 grams (g), of product. These values are based on a fortification level of 140 g/100 g (0.635 mg/ lb) of the cereal grain product. This action is being taken to help women of childbearing age to reduce their risk of having a pregnancy affected with spina bifida or other neural tube defects (NTD's) and to comply with the recommendation of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) that they consume at least 0.4 mg (400 g) of folic acid daily. This action also responds to a citizen petition submitted by Glenn Scott.

Agency Contact: Felicia B. Satchell, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-158), Food and Drug Administration, 200 C St. SW., Washington, DC 20204, 202-205-5099.