Folic Acid (Hansard, 14 July 1993)

§ Mr. Soames

A list of those foodstuffs in which folic acid occurs in significant quantities and the contribution to intake of folic acid made by a standard portion of each is set out in the table. Details are not held centrally of breads and breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid, nor of those fortified products which have been introduced since my Department commended to the food industry the recommendations of the expert advisory group in its report to the Chief Medical Officer on "Folic Acid and the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects". I am aware, however, that many breakfast cereals and a number of breads are fortified.

Amount of folk acid in portions of selected foods
	Portion size	Folic acid per portion
	grams	ounces	micrograms
Broccoli	90	3.0	60
Brussels sprouts	90	3.0	100
Cauliflower	90	3.0	45
Green beans, frozen	90	3.0	50
Okra	90	3.0	40

542W

	Portion size	Folic acid per portion
	grams	ounces	micrograms
Peas, frozen	90	3.0	40
Potatoes, old	180	6.5	45
Potatoes, new	180	6.5	35
Spinach (or other dark green leafy vegetable)	90	3.0	80
Black-eye beans	60	2.0	130
Chickpeas	60	2.0	30
Baked beans, canned reheated	135	5.0	30
Two slices of wholemeal bread	70	2.5	30
Two slices of white bread	60	2.0	20
Two slices of bread (fortified)	60	2.0	70
Two Chapatis	120	4.0	20
One bowl of breakfast cereal (fortified)	40	1.5	100
Milk, pint	585	20.0	35
One banana	100	3.5	15
One orange, or a glass of orange juice	200	7.0	60
Half grapefruit	80	3.0	20
One cup Bovril or Marmite (from one level teaspoon)	—	9.0	95
Bovril or Marmite on one slice of bread	—	4.0	40

Note:All Vegetables are boiled