From 13 December 2026, UK law requires non-wholemeal wheat flour that is milled in or imported into the UK to be fortified with folic acid at 0.25 milligrams (250 micrograms) per 100 grams of flour. The UK government says some products may already contain fortified flour ahead of that date, and that the change is expected to cut neural tube defects such as spina bifida by around 20%.
Wholemeal flour is not included, so people who want to avoid added folic acid can choose wholemeal, gluten-free, or other flours such as spelt or soya. The government also says the change supports, but does not replace, the advice that people trying for a baby should take folic acid supplements.
Source: GOV.UK — Folic acid (guidance on flour fortification); see also GOV.UK — Bread and flour: labelling and composition
Image: Enriched bread, flour, cornmeal, rice and pasta. Credit: Scott Bauer, U.S. Department of Agriculture (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.