Know the food facts: Folic Acid Fortification

• Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate (vitamin B9), an important vitamin for producing red blood cells and reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) during pregnancy.
• Non-wholemeal wheat flour is being fortified with folic acid across the UK to help reduce NTDs in pregnancy. Non-wholemeal wheat flour is already fortified with several vitamins and minerals such a niacin, thiamin, calcium and iron.
• NTDs, including spina bifida, can develop in early pregnancy and can have lifelong health consequences for affected babies.
• It is estimated that fortifying non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid will reduce NTD rates in the UK by around 20%.
• Women who are pregnant or trying for a baby should continue to take a daily 400 microgram folic acid supplement, as fortification is intended to support, not replace, existing advice.
• Fortification of wheat flour with folic acid has been adopted in more than 60 countries worldwide (including Australia, Canada and the USA).

Folic acid fortification has attracted public interest following the introduction of legislation requiring folic acid to be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour across the UK. 

In September 2021 following a UK-wide public consultation, the Scottish Government (SG) along with the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland announced their intention to proceed with arrangements to require additional mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid on a UK basis to help to reduce the incidence of NTDs.

The legislation will come into force on 13 December 2026 and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has put together these facts to explain what this means for consumers.

1. What are folate and folic acid?

Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in foods. Folic acid is the synthetic form used in supplements and food fortification. Both support healthy red blood cell formation and are also important during pregnancy.

2. Why is flour being fortified with folic acid?

Folic acid is being added to non-wholemeal wheat flour as a public health intervention to work alongside other public health measures to help to reduce the incidence of foetal NTD in Scotland. Low folate status during pregnancy increases the risk of NTDs, including spina bifida. Flour fortification will help increase folate intake across the population.

3. Is folic acid safe?

Folic acid fortification has been extensively reviewed by scientific and public health experts and, at the recommended level, is considered a safe and effective way to increase folate intake and reduce NTDs.  Folic acid is used in food fortification because it is more stable during food processing and storage and is more easily absorbed by the body than naturally occurring folate.

4. How effective is flour fortification expected to be?

Scientific modelling indicates that the fortification of non-wholemeal flour with folic acid could reduce NTD rates in the UK by around 20%.

5. Which foods will contain fortified flour?

Non-wholemeal wheat flour is used in a wide range of food products such as bread, rolls, cakes, biscuits, soups and ready meals. Fortified flour will be present in any food product manufactured in the UK for the UK market if it contains non wholemeal flour as an ingredient. 

Wholemeal flour, flour produced by small mills and gluten-free flour are not required to be fortified.

6. How will I know if a product contains folic acid?

In the UK, food such as breakfast cereals have been voluntarily fortified with vitamins and minerals including folic acid for some time. Most prepacked food products including breakfast cereal must be labelled with an ingredients list and any added vitamins and minerals must be included. This means folic acid must be declared within the ingredients list on non-wholemeal wheat flour and when fortified flour is used as an ingredient in other foods. For example, on a bag of plain non wholemeal wheat flour you should expect to see Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamin). On a tub of gravy granules this may appear as Ingredients: Potato Starch, Vegetable Oil, Salt, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin]...

7. Do women still need to take folic acid supplements?

Yes. Women who are trying for a baby or are pregnant should continue to take a daily 400 microgram folic acid supplement. Fortification supports but does not replace this advice.

FSS has policy responsibility for the Bread and Flour Regulations in Scotland and for the implementation of the addition of folic acid to the existing fortification requirements following consultation. 

In addition, FSS provides independent scientific advice on food and nutrition policy in Scotland and has contributed to the evidence base on flour fortification through dietary modelling.