Comparison of analytical values for enrichment nutrients in selected grain products to federal enrichment standards

Enriched grain products are required to have iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid added at specified levels (minimum and maximum) according to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). To provide up‐to‐date values for the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, enriched cornmeal, macaroni, noodles, and rice were purchased at 12 retail locations across the U.S. Samples were composited by brand (3 per product) and analyzed for nutrient content by AOAC methods with rigorous quality control. Iron, thiamin, and niacin values for egg noodles were 4.01, 1.13, and 8.38 mg/100g respectively, exceeding the standard maximum level by 10, 3, and 12%, respectively. In macaroni, while niacin at 7.83 mg/100g exceeded the standard by 4%, folate at 156 μg/100g was 21% below the standard. In cornmeal, riboflavin and niacin at 0.44 and 5.63 mg/100g exceeded the standard by 11 and 7%, respectively. All enrichment nutrients in rice were below the standard. Values for iron, thiamin, niacin (2.54, 0.28, 3.26 mg/100g) and folate (69 μg/100g) were 11, 30, 7, and 55% below the minimum standard, respectively. When values for enrichment nutrients fall outside the range specified by the CFR, individuals consuming large amounts of these foods would have lower or higher levels of nutrient intake than would be predicted. Funded by: USDA & NIH Y1CN5010