Abstract: Folate, an essential vitamin B, plays a very important role in the metabolism and circulation of the human body. Folate cannot be synthesized by the body and therefore has to be supplied through the diet. Folate deficiency is recognized as a health issue worldwide and the World Health Organization has established the recommended daily intake of folate. However, folate content in natural foods is generally low. Fortification of cereal products and infant milk powder products with synthetic folic acid is common practice in many countries; special diets and health food fortified with natural folate have been developed. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the folate content in foods accurately. This paper reviews the key steps of folate extraction from foods and the common analytical methods used for folate detection, and it compares the advantages and disadvantages of microbiological methods, liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods. This review is expected to provide a reference for research aiming to establish a fast and accurate method for the determination of folate in foods.

Key words: folate, folic acid derivative, extraction, determination, foods