Folate Content and Chemical Composition of Commercially Available Gluten-Free Flour Alternatives

Concerns about the nutritional and sensory qualities of gluten-free (GF) products has generated interest in the evaluation of novel gluten-free ingredients. Folate content is of particular interest due to limited sources of enriched folic acid in a GF diet as well as lack of nutrient composition data in novel flours. The aim of this study was to determine the total folate content and chemical composition of GF flours commercially available in Canada. A tri-enzyme method was used to extract folate from the flour samples, and a microbiological assay was used to measure the total folate contents. The chemical compositions of the GF flours were determined according to standard Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) International methods. Compared to all-purpose flour, 265 +/- 6.9 mu g/100 (dry-weight basis), chickpea flour registered the highest folate content 451 +/- 10.8 mu g/100 (dry-weight basis) followed by quinoa flour, 174 +/- 12.4 mu g/ 100 g folate (dry-weight basis). Fonio, had a total starch content of similar to 77% but was not a source of folate. Flaxseed, chickpea, chia and coconut flours had the highest reported protein contents (mean value: 21.3 +/- 1.3%) whereas flaxseed (similar to 42%), and chia (similar to 35%), had the highest lipid content. These findings may inform the selection of gluten-replacement flours with acceptable nutritional properties.