Folic Acid Is Being Added to UK Flour – What Does It Mean for Bakers in 2026?

Throughout 2026, you may start to notice changes to the ingredients lists on some of your favourite UK flours.

This is because new flour fortification rules are being introduced across the UK, with folic acid becoming a mandatory addition to most non-wholemeal common wheat flour from 13 December 2026.

At Ratton Pantry, we stock flour from a wide range of British and international mills, from large-scale producers to small independent and artisan millers. As different mills prepare for the new requirements at different stages throughout 2026, customers may begin to see folic acid appearing on flour ingredient lists before the final implementation date.

So, what exactly is changing, why is folic acid being introduced, and will it affect every flour?

What Is Changing?

Flour fortification itself is nothing new in the UK.

For many years, most non-wholemeal wheat flour produced in the UK has been required to meet minimum levels of certain nutrients, including iron, niacin (vitamin B3) and thiamin (vitamin B1), as well as having calcium carbonate added.

From 13 December 2026, folic acid will become an additional mandatory fortificant for non-wholemeal common wheat flour covered by the Bread and Flour Regulations.

The required amount of folic acid will be 0.25mg per 100g of flour.

The legislation also updates the required levels of some of the other nutrients already covered by flour fortification rules.

This means that, for many familiar white and non-wholemeal wheat flours, the ingredients list may change as mills update their production processes ahead of the new requirements.

Why Is Folic Acid Being Added to Flour?

The introduction of mandatory folic acid fortification is a public health measure designed primarily to help reduce the number of pregnancies affected by neural tube defects.

Folate is a form of vitamin B9 and is particularly important during the early stages of pregnancy. Folic acid is the form used in food fortification and supplements.

The UK Government estimates that adding folic acid to non-wholemeal wheat flour could help prevent around 200 cases of serious neural tube defects each year.

Fortifying flour is intended to increase folic acid intake across the wider population, including among women who may become pregnant without having taken folic acid supplements before conception.

Importantly, the introduction of folic acid into flour does not replace existing health advice recommending folic acid supplementation before and during the early stages of pregnancy.

Will All Flour Contain Folic Acid?

No.

This is an important distinction, particularly for customers who actively choose flour without added fortification.

The new requirements primarily apply to non-wholemeal common wheat flour that falls within the scope of the Bread and Flour Regulations.

There are several exemptions.

Wholemeal Flour

Wholemeal flour is exempt from the mandatory fortification requirements.

Therefore, genuinely wholemeal wheat flour does not have to have folic acid added under these regulations.

Flour Made From Other Grains (Ancient Grain Flour)

The regulations specifically concern common wheat flour.

Flours produced from other grains and cereals are therefore treated differently. This can include products such as rye, spelt and other speciality ancient grains, depending on the precise grain and composition of the product.

Small Mills

One of the most significant changes for artisan flour customers is the exemption provided for qualifying small mills.

Under the new rules, a production site can qualify as a small mill where it:

• has a maximum annual flour production capacity of 500 metric tonnes, and
• has produced fewer than 500 metric tonnes of flour in each of the previous three calendar years.

Flour produced by a mill that meets these requirements is exempt from the mandatory flour fortification requirements.

This exemption is particularly important to Britain’s smaller artisan and traditional milling sector, where mills may wish to continue producing flour with nothing added during the milling process.

At Ratton Pantry, this means we can continue to offer customers a choice between flour produced by larger mills operating under the standard fortification requirements and flour from qualifying smaller mills producing unfortified flour.

Our range includes artisan producers such as Stoates, Bruern Farms and Gilchesters Organics, which offer customers an alternative to conventionally fortified flour where the relevant flour and production site meet the applicable exemption requirements.

For example, Bruern Farms mills fewer than 500 tonnes of flour annually and its flour range is produced without added fortification.

Why Are Some Flours Changing Before December 2026?

Although the final compliance date is 13 December 2026, customers may notice ingredient changes considerably earlier.

Large flour mills produce significant volumes of flour and supply numerous retailers, wholesalers, bakeries and food manufacturers. Updating fortification systems, flour specifications, packaging and ingredient declarations is therefore a considerable undertaking.

Different mills may introduce their updated flour specifications at different points during the transition period.

As a result, throughout 2026 there may be a period where an existing product changes from its previous formulation to a newly fortified formulation.

At Ratton Pantry, we receive regular deliveries from mills across the UK and Europe. As new batches arrive, we are monitoring product specifications and updating the ingredient information on our website where required.

This means that customers should always check the current ingredients listed on the individual product page, particularly if the presence or absence of folic acid or other fortification ingredients is important to them.

Does This Mean Folic Acid Will Be Added to Imported Flour?

The regulations can also apply to non-wholemeal common wheat flour imported into the UK, although the rules surrounding imported flour and finished food products can be more complex.

For example, imported finished products containing flour as one of several ingredients are treated differently from flour imported as flour for sale or further use.

This is particularly relevant to Ratton Pantry because we stock a large selection of specialist European and Italian flours alongside British flour.

Customers interested in a particular flour should therefore refer to the ingredients and product information shown on the individual product listing rather than assuming that all imported or all British flour will follow the same formulation.

What About Italian Pizza Flour?

Many of our customers use specialist Italian flour from mills producing flour for Neapolitan pizza, contemporary pizza, long fermentation dough and other specialist applications.

The introduction of the UK’s new folic acid requirements does not mean that every bag of flour produced in Europe will suddenly have folic acid added at the mill.

However, the rules concerning flour placed onto the UK market mean that product specifications and availability can vary depending on the type of flour, how it is imported and how it is sold.

We will continue to monitor information supplied by our flour manufacturers and importers and update our product listings accordingly.

Why Does the Small Mill Exemption Matter?

Britain has a thriving community of smaller mills producing distinctive flours from carefully selected grains.

Many of these mills work directly with farmers, grow or source heritage wheat varieties, use stone milling and focus heavily on provenance and the relationship between grain, soil and finished flour.

Requiring these very small producers to install and manage specialist fortification systems could create a disproportionate financial and operational burden.

The Government therefore introduced the small-mill exemption to reduce that burden while maintaining the wider public health objectives of the fortification programme.

For bakers, it also helps preserve choice.

Customers who specifically want flour produced without added fortification can continue to seek out flour from qualifying small mills, as well as wholemeal and other exempt flour types.

Our Approach at Ratton Pantry

Ratton Pantry has always believed in offering bakers choice.

We work with some of the largest and most respected flour mills in Britain and Europe, but we are equally passionate about supporting smaller independent mills and farms producing distinctive artisan flour.

Throughout 2026, we will continue reviewing new deliveries and information provided by our suppliers.

Where a flour’s formulation changes, we will update the ingredients displayed on our website to help customers make an informed decision.

For customers specifically looking for flour without added folic acid or other mandatory fortification agents, we also offer a growing selection of flour from smaller artisan producers, including ranges from mills such as Stoates, Bruern Farms and Gilchesters Organics, subject to the individual flour and mill meeting the relevant exemption criteria.

We believe this choice will become increasingly important as the UK flour market changes.

Whether you are looking for a specialist high-protein bread flour, traditional stoneground flour, heritage wheat, regeneratively grown grain or an authentic Italian pizza flour, our aim remains the same: to provide clear information about what you are buying and help you find the right flour for your baking.

The Key Date: 13 December 2026

The most important date for bakers to remember is 13 December 2026.

From this date, non-wholemeal common wheat flour covered by the regulations must comply with the updated fortification requirements, including the addition of folic acid.

However, flour that was already labelled or placed on the market before this date and complied with the previous requirements can continue to be sold after the deadline.

This means the transition will not necessarily happen overnight. For a period of time, customers may see both older and newer batches of flour working their way through the supply chain.

At Ratton Pantry, we will continue to keep our customers informed as the changes are introduced and will update individual product information as specifications change.

Looking for Unfortified Flour?

Explore our selection of artisan British Unfortified flours from independent mills and farms, including Stoates, Bruern Farms and Gilchesters Organics, alongside our extensive collection of specialist British, French and Italian flour.

As always, the Ratton Pantry team is happy to help customers understand the differences between our flours and find the best option for their bread, sourdough, pizza or baking. Please don't hesitate to contact us should you have any further questions surrounding folic acid or flour fortification in general.