March Of Dimes Label Highlighting Folic Acid Fortification To Accompany Packages Of White Bread

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 24 Jan 2008 - 12:00 PDT

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The March of Dimes and the Grain Foods Foundation recently launched a pilot program that will label loaves of white breads made from enriched flour with "Folic Acid for a Healthy Pregnancy," USA Today reports. White breads contain enriched flour that includes government-required doses of folic acid, while whole-grain foods have lower, natural levels, according to USA Today.

White breads initially will receive the label, but other grain products that provide at least 40 micrograms of folic acid also will qualify to receive the label, March of Dimes spokesperson Elizabeth Lynch said. Jennifer Howse, the group's president, said that women ideally would take in 400 micrograms of folic acid daily by consuming foods that contain it naturally -- such as broccoli, lentils or orange juice -- but added that the seal will remind women about the fortification in enriched grains. "We want to increase women's awareness of folic acid and its connection to a healthy pregnancy," Howse said.

An effort began in 1992 for women to take daily vitamins containing folic acid, and a high of 40% did so in 2007, according to a Gallup and March of Dimes survey published this month by CDC (Painter, USA Today, 1/21). In addition, FDA in 1998 required that almost all flour be fortified with folic acid. March of Dimes, the American Medical Association and several pediatric groups in the last two years have called on FDA to double the amount of folic acid required in fortification (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/4/07). The efforts have contributed to a decline of about one-third in the rate of infants born from spina bifida and anencephaly from 1991 to 2005, according to CDC.

Reaction

Godfrey Oakley, a research scientist at Emory University, said the seal is a "great idea" because it "lets people know folic acid is in there." Bonnie Liebman, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the seal "could give a little boost to the public awareness that folic acid is important. ... But it would be unfortunate if some women thought they had to eat white bread to get folic acid." Oakley advocates adding folic acid to whole grains, but some researchers worry that too much folic acid in the food supply could potentially harm other parts of the population, USA Today reports (USA Today, 1/21).

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