Abstract
Folate contents in various infant foods and meals were determined by microbiological assay method, in order to ascertain the dietary folate intakes of infant during the weaning period, and following results were obtained. 1. A11 folates existed in some Japanese modified powder milks were recomfirmed to be free folate and the folate levels were higher than the values indicated by each company. 2. Folate activities in various commercially prepared infant foods were analysed. It was clarified that high protein cereal had high total folate activities of 140.6μg/day g and especially was favourable as a rich source of dietary folate. But those in strained foods were low in general. 3. The dietary folate intake of a bottle-feeding infant six months old was estimated to be 135.0μg/day by microbiological analysis and much higher than the US Recommended Dietary Allowance of 50 /μg/day or the Canadian Dietary Standard of 40 /μg/day. Key Words : folate contents, Japanese modified powder milk, infant food, weaning period, dietary folate intake
