Folate DFEUpdated 2 months ago

Q: What does mcg DFE mean when looking at folate on your labels? '

A:  In May of 2016 the FDA published new rules in nutrition labeling of foods and dietary supplements, which went into effect as of January 2020.  Previously, folate was declared in micrograms (mcg) but in accordance with the new rules, folate is now declared in mcg of DFE, which stands for Dietary Folate Equivalents.

Although labels have been updated to comply with the new FDA rules, the formula has not changed. With the new rules, for instance, in Baby & Me 2, 600 mcg of L-5-MTHF is equivalent to 1020 mcg DFE.  The Daily Value (DV) for folate for pregnant and lactating women is 600 mcg DFE.  Therefore, with 1020 mcg DFE, the product meets 170% of the DV.