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Informed Systematic Review and Critical Comparison of Analytical Methods for the Quantification of Blood Folate Status in the Population

Project Code: N08028

19/05/2009

Rowett Research Institute
Duthie, S ; Bird, S;
Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, Rowett Research Institute
Mayer, C;
University of Aberdeen
MacDonald, H;

Background

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), Folate Subgroup recently evaluated the scientific evidence of the merits and disadvantages of introducing mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid in the UK. If fortification is introduced by the UK Government, careful and accurate monitoring of folate status in the UK population must be initiated in order to allow precise determination of the impact of fortification on folate levels in the general population and specifically in “at-risk” groups such as the very young and the elderly. To ensure careful population monitoring, SACN recommended that a standard analytical method for measuring folate status be applied to nutritional surveys. To do this, the suitability of each of the methods currently employed was assessed.

Aims

(1) Critically assess the suitability of established methods for quantifying folate status.
(2) Recommend the best method for future monitoring of folate status in the UK population.

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