Why Is Folic Acid Being Added to Bread, Pasta & Flour?
Updated: Oct 13
What Is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is a fully oxidised, synthetic form of vitamin B9 used in supplements & food fortification.
Folic acid is not naturally found in food and must be processed by the body into active forms.
How is Folic Acid Made?
Folic acid is manufactured by chemical synthesis, not extracted from food.
Manufactured by combining:
1. Pyrimidine compound (synthetic chemical)
2. 1,1,3-trichloroacetone (also used in pesticide manufacturing)
3. L-glutamic acid derivative (amino acid-based compound)
These are reacted together to create folic acid, which is then purified & crystallised into a powder ready to be added to flour — Yummy!
This process often involves hazardous chemicals, unwanted by-products & contaminated wastewater, requiring extensive purification before the finished folic acid is suitable for ‘food’.
Interestingly, DSM-Firmenich, the company behind the controversial cattle feed additive Bovaer, is a major manufacturer of synthetic folic acid.
The company describes itself as the “only Western supplier of folic acid”.
Folate VS Folic Acid - Is Folic Acid the Same as Folate?
Folic Acid is not the same as Folate.
Folate is the naturally occurring form of vitamin B9, high in foods such as eggs, liver & avocado.
Whereas folic acid is manufactured.
Folic acid must be converted by the body into an active form before it can be used.
After eating a slice of deliciously fluffy white supermarket bread, an enzyme called dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) processes folic acid.
However, this enzyme works relatively slowly & can become overwhelmed, particularly at higher doses, leaving unprocessed folic acid circulating in the bloodstream (more on this later).
Meanwhile, natural folate from foods like avocado doesn't require this extra processing step.
When is Folic Acid being Added to Flour and Bread?
From 13 December 2026, the UK will require most non-wholemeal wheat flour to contain 250 micrograms of synthetic folic acid per 100 g of flour.
Folic acid is already voluntarily added by many UK manufacturers to breakfast cereals such as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Special K & Weetabix.
“Voluntary fortification of other foods with folic acid has existed for many years, mainly in products such as breakfast cereals and the Government has no plans to restrict it.” - UK Government.
Why Is Folic Acid being Added to Bread and Flour?
The Government’s stated reason is to increase folic acid intake among women who could become pregnant and reduce neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida, in those potential pregnancies.
NTDs affect approximately 0.1% of births.
Almost the entire UK population, exceeding 60 million people, will be exposed to mandatory folic acid fortification, with 99% of UK households buying bread.
Adequate folate around conception helps “reduce the risk of NTDs” according to the NHS.
The NHS recommends that women planning pregnancy consume enough folate or take folic acid supplements before & during early pregnancy.
Only 4% of UK adults aged 19-64 are folate deficient. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends levels above 906 nmol/L to achieve the “greatest reduction of NTDs”, although it classifies the supporting evidence as “low quality evidence”.
83% of UK women aged 16-49 have folate levels below this threshold.
Yet WHO states that “this threshold cannot predict the individual risk of having a NTD-affected pregnancy”.
Before fortification: Approximately 1,000 neural tube defect cases annually. |
After fortification: Approximately 800 cases annually. |
Projected reduction: 200 cases per year (20%). |
In the United States, mandatory fortification is already present:
Dr Young-In Kim stated that neural tube defect rates were already declining before mandatory folic acid fortification began, stating:
Are There Side Effects of Folic Acid?
Yes, folic acid has recognised side effects & potential health risks, particularly at higher doses.
Cancer Concerns
Folate is essential for healthy cell growth & DNA repair.
However, high folic acid intake may encourage the growth of existing precancerous cells.
Men receiving 1 mg of folic acid daily had an estimated probability of being diagnosed with prostate cancer over 10 years of 9.7%, compared with 3.3% among men receiving no folic acid supplement.
Another trial found that the same daily amount was associated with an increased risk of advanced colorectal adenomas, a type of potentially precancerous growth.
A large analysis involving approximately 50,000 people found no significant increase in overall cancer incidence from folic acid supplementation.Interestingly, under its Conflicts of Interest section, this study disclosed:
“Support for this project was also provided by a grant from the UK Food Standards Agency (N05072).”
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommended mandatory folic acid fortification of bread or flour to the UK Government.
Overall, larger studies suggest that folic acid poses little additional cancer risk. However, individual trials have raised concerns, particularly at higher doses.
Unprocessed Folic Acid in the Bloodstream
Unlike in natural food, synthetic folic acid requires additional processing steps in the body.
After 5 days of eating fortified cereal & bread, researchers detected unprocessed folic acid in participants’ blood.
Unprocessed folic acid usually starts appearing in the bloodstream after consuming around 0.2 mg.
At 0.04mg per slice of bread, that's roughly equal to 5 slices.
More than a typical serving, but not an unrealistic amount of bread across a day.
Research has linked unprocessed folic acid to reduced activity in immune cells, specifically natural killer cells, which help identify & destroy abnormal cells, including cancer.
Other research has found no consistent evidence of harmful health effects.
So the evidence is conflicting…
But conflicting findings need careful consideration, especially when introducing mandatory exposure across an entire population.
Children & Folic Acid
Mandatory flour fortification also increases folic acid exposure among children, despite the policy's primary objective to prevent birth defects.
The UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition estimated that few children should exceed recommended intake limits.
They also acknowledged that “guidance levels were not set for children as there were no data reporting adverse effects in children.”
The absence of research on harm in children does not mean there are no risks, particularly given the limited research on children.
The European Food Safety Authority states “investigations of the potential vulnerability of specific subgroups of the population, such as infants and children is needed”.
Cognitive & Neurological Effects
Studies have found that older adults with low vitamin B12 but high folate levels experienced poorer memory, cognitive performance & greater neurological problems.
Hiding Vitamin B12 Deficiency
High folic acid intake can mask anaemia (blood not carrying enough oxygen) caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.
This can make B12 deficiency harder to detect, potentially delaying necessary treatment while neurological nerve damage progresses.
Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification - The Debate
A UK Parliament petition created by Dr Clare Craig, a former NHS pathologist (disease diagnosis specialist), calls for mandatory fortification to be stopped.
The petition argues that adding synthetic folic acid to flour means population-wide exposure without individual consent & raises concerns for people who may need to limit folic acid.
As of October 2026, the petition has over 100,000 signatures, reaching the threshold for
Parliament to consider a debate.
The Government
In response to the petition, the Government stated:
“Folic acid fortification is an evidenced public health measure, not a medical intervention.”
The Government also states mandatory fortification is limited to non-wholemeal common wheat flour, claiming this:
“Helps preserve choice by maintaining the availability of unfortified wholemeal and non-wheat flours”, with flour from qualifying small mills also exempt.”
Why the petition matters
It questions the consent, consumer choice and mandatory population-wide exposure.
The petition also brings attention to an issue many people are unaware of.
For example, the BBC covered the debate, highlighting concerns over “mass medication” alongside the Government’s projected health benefits.
How To Get Enough Folate / Vitamin B9 from Whole Foods:
The NHS recommends 0.2 mg of folate daily for adults, rising to 0.3 mg during pregnancy.
Historically, some cultures have encouraged pregnant women to eat high-folate foods.
For example, Zimbabwe’s Ndau people traditionally encourage expectant mothers to eat folate-rich cowpea leaves.
Food | Typical Serving | % of requirement |
Beef Liver, braised | 85g | 108% |
Spinach, boiled | 90g | 66% |
Avocado, medium | 136g | 55% |
Asparagus, boiled | 60g | 45% |
Brussels Sprouts, boiled | 78g | 39% |
Broccoli, cooked | 78g | 26% |
Orange, small | 1 | 15% |
Egg, boiled, large | 1 | 11% |
Folate values are approximate and vary by food variety, portion size and preparation. % are calculated against the UK adult Reference Nutrient Intake of 0.2 mg per day.
It is important to remember only 4% of UK adults aged 19-64 are folate deficient.
How Bread Should Be
As an organic farm, we believe bread should be made as nature intended.
Bread should have only 4 ingredients - flour, water, salt & yeast.
This means NO folic acid.
Or as supermarket bread sees it:
Pesticide-sprayed wheat processed into “flour”.
Flour “fortified with” synthetic vitamins & minerals artificially adding:
● Iron (industrial)
● Calcium (industrial)
● Folic Acid (synthetic)
● Niacin - B3 (manufactured)
● Thiamin - B1 (manufactured)
And while you're at it, why not throw in some industrially processed vegetable oils?
● Rapeseed Oil (hexane-extracted, bleached & high-heat deodorised)
● Palm Oil (linked to tropical rainforest destruction)
Then some lovely:
● E481
● E472e
● Soya Flour
● Calcium Propionate (preservative)
● Ascorbic Acid (E300 - sold as “vitamin C,” actually a manufactured dough additive)
Finally, they are kind enough to add the actual bread basics:
✅ Water
✅ Yeast
✅ Salt
Anyone for toast?
Where to Buy Bread Without Added Folic Acid
Under the new legislation, wholemeal flour, non-wheat flours such as rye & flour from qualifying small mills remain exempt.
However, organic bread & traditional sourdough usually aren’t exempt.
The truth is, it's extremely difficult to find white bread without folic acid.
At Bays Leap, we sell organic, traditionally stoneground flour from Whissendine Windmill, containing just wheat flour, no added folic acid. Perfect for those who want to bake their own bread.
We also stock local sourdough from Big River Bakery. Unfortunately, even traditional local bakeries are affected by the legislation.
WildFarmed sourdough, sold in Waitrose, offers an alternative to conventional supermarket bread, with the company stating:
“We do not allow insecticides, as our farming is designed to restore nature.”
Yet even their sourdough is subject to mandatory folic acid fortification.
Online bakeries such as Good in Bread offer sourdough without added folic acid, promising to clearly label which breads contain it.
As a community-focused organic farm shop, we focus on supporting local bakeries & traditional flour producers wherever possible.
Why should local bread producers committed to traditional food production have to add something they and their customers may not want to consume?
Final Thoughts
Vitamin B9 can help prevent serious birth defects.
But does that justify adding a synthetic vitamin to staple foods consumed by 99% of the population?
Most UK adults aren't clinically folate deficient.
And questions remain about the potential long-term effects of folic acid intake.
Surely, greater emphasis should be placed on educating & supporting women who could become pregnant, including access to appropriate supplements, rather than making fortification compulsory for everyone?
As an organic farm, we believe in natural, minimally processed foods & giving people the freedom to choose what they eat.
Why should something as simple as a loaf of bread be any different?