Folate testing helps food, dairy, nutritional product, supplement, and pharmaceutical manufacturers understand the folate content of their products.
Folate results may be used to support nutritional labelling, product development, formulation checks, customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and quality assurance programmes.
AsureQuality provides folate testing using an internationally recognised AOAC method, with reporting designed to help customers interpret folate results more clearly.
What is folate?
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food in several forms.
One of the main naturally occurring forms is 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, commonly referred to as 5-MTHF. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate commonly used in food fortification because of its stability. Synthetic forms of 5-MTHF may also be used in fortified products and dietary supplements.
Because different folate forms can vary in stability and bioavailability, folate activity is commonly expressed as Dietary Folate Equivalents, or DFE.
What are Dietary Folate Equivalents?
Dietary Folate Equivalents help account for differences between naturally occurring folates and added or synthetic folate sources.
Reporting folate as DFE can support clearer interpretation of results where products contain naturally occurring folate, folic acid, synthetic 5-MTHF, or a combination of folate sources.
This is particularly useful for nutritional assessment, product development, nutritional labelling, and compliance with customer or regulatory requirements.
Method principle
AsureQuality performs folate testing using AOAC 2013.13.
This method quantifies folate components, including 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and folic acid. Results can then be reported in a way that identifies the folate source used in the DFE calculation.
Clear identification of the folate source helps customers understand the basis of the reported DFE value and supports more meaningful interpretation of results.
What sample types can be tested?
Folate testing may be suitable for a range of sample types, including:
- Infant formula
- Adult and paediatric nutritional formula
- Goat and sheep milk powder-based products
- Raw milk
- UHT milk
- Soy milk
- Food products
- Dietary supplements
- Pharmaceutical products
If your product is not listed above, please contact us before submitting samples so we can confirm whether the method is suitable for your sample type and intended purpose.
Why folate source information matters
For products that contain added or synthetic folate sources, it is important to know whether folate is present as naturally occurring folate, folic acid, synthetic 5-MTHF, or another declared folate source.
This information helps ensure the appropriate DFE calculation is applied and that results are reported in a way that supports accurate interpretation.
Clearer folate reporting can help customers:
- Understand the basis of the reported folate result
- Support nutritional labelling and product claims
- Compare results against product specifications
- Support formulation and product development work
- Meet customer, market, or regulatory requirements
- Maintain clearer internal quality and compliance records
Before submitting samples
Before submitting samples for folate testing, please check your product specification, customer requirement, regulatory reference, or internal quality documentation.
For fortified or supplemented products, please provide any relevant information about the folate source used in the product formulation, such as folic acid or synthetic 5-MTHF.
Providing this information helps our team apply the appropriate reporting approach for your product.
Have a question, comment, or feedback?
If you have any concerns regarding general testing services, please submit a request to contact our customer experience team or call +64 9 626 8203