You cannot taste it or smell it, but there is something new in that bread or pasta you are eating. As of January 1998, enriched bread, flour, cornmeal, rice, pasta, and grain products must be fortified with folic acid, by regulation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This regulation is a result of evidence that links reduced risk of neural tube birth defects with a mother's consumption of folic acid. These defects can occur during the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman realizes she is pregnant.
Folic acid is the term for the synthetic form of folate, a water-soluble vitamin.
Folate is needed for metabolism of certain amino acids and for the synthesis of DNA and RNA, making the vitamin essential for the normal growth and division of cells. However, a high intake of folate can mask a deficiency of vitamin B-12, a vitamin that recycles folate while fulfilling other roles in the body. A vitamin B-12 deficiency can progress to permanent nerve damage, so it is important to recognize a deficiency early. Therefore the FDA sets a maximum level of folic acid to be added to foods and the National Academy of Sciences recommends that no more than 1 milligram of folate be consumed per day. New recommendations for folic acid and vitamin B-12 intake are part of a new approach to dietary guidance.