From December 13, 2026, UK law will require certain wheat flour products, including bread, pasta and cakes, to contain added folic acid. The measure is part of a Government-backed effort to reduce neural tube defects (NTDs) in pregnancies.
Under the updated Bread and Flour Regulations, millers and food producers must meet this legal requirement for products made with wheat flour that are produced or sold in the UK. The mandate covers a wide range of supermarket items.
Why folic acid is being added
The decision is intended to help lower the incidence of neural tube defects, which include miscarriages, stillbirths and spina bifida. NTDs are serious birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord that typically occur very early in pregnancy, usually within the first four weeks.
Folic acid is the synthetic, man-made form of vitamin B9. Natural alternatives include foods rich in folate, such as dark leafy greens, certain fruits and vegetables, as well as sunflower seeds and flaxseed.
Which products are affected
To check if a product contains fortified flour, shoppers can look at the ingredients list. Under labelling rules, folic acid must be listed alongside calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamin inside the brackets following "Wheat Flour".
Affected items include breads, rolls, buns, wraps and flatbreads; breakfast items such as crumpets, English muffins, bagels, croissants and pancakes; bagged flour; baking mixes; biscuits; cakes and pastries; pasta and noodles; sauces and thickeners; and frozen or chilled savoury foods.
Many fortified items are already on UK supermarket shelves ahead of the legal deadline. Because mills and manufacturers are updating recipes and packaging at different speeds, shelves currently hold a mix of fortified and unfortified stock. After December 13, all newly produced non-wholemeal wheat flour products must comply.
Will the change be noticeable
Folic acid is colourless, odourless and flavourless, and it is added in microscopic amounts. Under UK regulations, millers add 0.250 milligrams (250 micrograms) of folic acid per 100 grams of non-wholemeal wheat flour.
That is roughly one-quarter of a grain of salt spread across an entire bag of flour. The NHS recommends 200 micrograms of folate per day for adults, and two slices of fortified toast provide roughly half of that baseline daily requirement.
Which foods are exempt
The legislation excludes certain flours and products from the requirement. These include 100% wholemeal flour and products made entirely from wholemeal wheat flour, gluten-free and non-wheat flours, flours from ancient grains such as spelt, einkorn and emmer, flour from small independent mills producing less than 500 metric tonnes per year, and imported finished baked goods or pasta, though imported bulk white flour used in the UK is covered.
