Effect of packaging material, storage conditions and processing methods of fortified maize meal on the stability of folic acid

Neural tube defects (NTD) are a major public health concern arising from genetics, nutritional and environmental factors such as folate deficiency. Supplementation with folic acid can prevent 50–70%. Despite mandatory folic acid fortification, of maize meal in Zimbabwe little is known about the effects of storage material, processing and storage conditions on its stability. This study assessed the retention of folic acid under different storage materials, environmental conditions and processing methods. Folic acid concentration was quantified using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that packaging significantly influenced folic acid stability; after three months, losses were 50% in sealed metal containers, 70% in khaki, 70.5% in plastic and 77.7% in sacks. Exposure to atmospheric oxygen caused an 80% loss over three months, while sunlight exposure led to a 43.1% reduction in 12 hours. Processing methods showed minimal losses during preparation of sadza (2.3%) and porridge (3.1%), while fermentation accelerated degradation. The results highlight that packaging, storage, and processing are critical to preserving the nutritional benefits of fortified maize meal. It can be concluded that packaging material, environmental condition, and processing methods are critical for consumers to drive maximum benefit from fortified maize meal. Households are recommended to keep fortified maize meal in metal containers and millers package in plastic and khaki and sacks must be discouraged.