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Bread without added folic acid: what to look for before 13 December 2026

Published 29 October 2026

From 13 December 2026, UK law says folic acid must be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour. Bread made only with wholemeal, rye or spelt flour is not covered, so those loaves are the ones to look at if you want bread without added folic acid.

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This guide is about what changes on the shelf, and when. We stick to what the law and the label say. Some people want to avoid added folic acid. Some don't mind. Either way, the ingredients list tells you.

What changes on 13 December 2026?

The rule is in The Bread and Flour (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024. It changes the list of things that must be added to flour.

Non-wholemeal wheat flour in the UK already has four things added by law. These are calcium carbonate, iron, niacin and thiamin. From 13 December 2026, folic acid is added to that list. GOV.UK sets the amount at 0.25mg per 100g of flour.

The rule is about flour. Bread is covered because most bread is made from flour. So is anything else made with that flour, like pastry, pizza bases and wraps.

Is there bread with folic acid on the shelf already?

There may be. GOV.UK says flour with folic acid could turn up in some foods before the deadline. Millers and bakers can start early.

There is also a rule for the other side of the date. GOV.UK says flour that was labelled or put on the market before 13 December 2026 can still be sold after it. So for a while, you may see both kinds of pack side by side.

That is why the date alone won't tell you much. The label will.

Which breads are not covered?

GOV.UK lists what the rule leaves out:

  • wholemeal flour
  • flour from small mills (up to 500 tonnes a year)
  • flour for communion wafers, matzos, gluten or starch

The rule only covers flour made from common wheat. Rye is a different grain. GOV.UK also names spelt as a flour that is not covered.

So these breads are not covered, as long as they use no other wheat flour:

  • 100% wholemeal loaves
  • rye bread and rye crispbreads
  • spelt bread
  • gluten-free bread

Food made abroad and brought into the UK is not covered either. A loaf baked in another country may not list folic acid.

Breads and crispbreads that don't list folic acid

We checked the ingredients of every bread and crispbread in our catalogue. These are made with rye, spelt or wholemeal flour. None list folic acid. They also pass our wider rules. There are no seed oils, emulsifiers or added sugar.

Rye loaves:

Spelt loaves:

Rye crispbreads:

See the full list on our bread without added folic acid page. For crackers, see crackers without palm oil.

How do I check a loaf?

Added vitamins and minerals must be named in the ingredients. This is true even when the flour is part of a bread.

GOV.UK shows how it will look:

Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, Folic Acid)

Here are the steps:

  1. Turn the pack over and find "Ingredients".
  2. Look for "wheat flour" near the start.
  3. Read what is in the brackets after it.
  4. If you see "Folic Acid", the flour has it added.

If the only flour is "wholemeal wheat flour", "rye flour" or "spelt flour", you may see no brackets at all.

Watch out for mixed loaves

A loaf called "wholemeal" must use only wholemeal flour. GOV.UK says the word can only go in the name if all the flour is wholemeal.

But many loaves mix flours. "50/50", "best of both", seeded and "brown" loaves often use wheat flour too. That part is covered. Spelt and rye loaves can also have some wheat flour in them. So read the whole list, not just the name on the front.

Want to bake your own?

If you bake at home, the flour is the thing to check. Wholemeal wheat flour is not covered. Nor is rye or spelt flour. We have added these flours to our catalogue. Each one lists only the grain.

See all of them on our flour without folic acid page.

Recipes that use rye and crispbreads

FAQ

When does folic acid go into UK flour? From 13 December 2026. Some foods may have it sooner.

Will bread on the shelf change on that day? Not all at once. Flour labelled or put on the market before 13 December 2026 can still be sold. Check the pack you have.

Is rye bread covered by the folic acid rule? No. The rule covers common wheat flour. Check the label in case the loaf also has wheat flour.

Is wholemeal bread covered? Wholemeal flour is not covered. A loaf that mixes in other wheat flour will have folic acid in that part.

Sources

  • legislation.gov.uk, The Bread and Flour (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/1162): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1162/contents/made
  • GOV.UK, Bread and flour: labelling and composition: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bread-and-flour-labelling-and-composition
  • GOV.UK, Folic acid: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/folic-acid/folic-acid

Got a loaf in your hand? Take a photo of the label in The Better Basket. It's free, and we'll show you what's in it.

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