Folate Content of Dairy Products Measured by Microbiological Assay with Trienzyme Treatment

Folate contents of a total of 210 dairy products, including milk, yogurt, ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, pudding, sour cream and cheese, were measured by Lactobacillus casei microbiological assay after the extraction using trienzyme treatment. These values are compared with those using traditional folate conjugase treatment alone and those in previously published food tables. Folate contents by the method using trienzyme treatment were uniformly higher than those using the traditional method and the published contents. To our knowledge, the values published here are the largest collection of folate content of dairy products and can be used to accurately assess dietary folate intake in the general population.