The folic acid experiment nobody asked for

13 November 2026 · 4 min read

Brett NethellOrganised team

The addition of folic acid is becoming mandatory from next month here in the UK, but why are they doing it? And what are the dangers of adding folic acid, a synthetic supplement, to food eaten by the masses?

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, which is naturally found in food, but this isn’t the only form of fortification currently in flour. Currently, we have calcium, iron, niacin (B3) and thiamine (B1), all added synthetically to flour. But it seems many are drawing the line at folic acid, and rightly so, as we’ll discover in this article. There are many people who should avoid folic acid supplementation but who have yet to be warned. We’ll also cover the differences between natural folate and synthetic folic acid, as well as how to avoid fortification entirely.

Why they are doing it

The synthetic form of vitamin B9 is being added to reduce neural tube defects during pregnancy, a worthy goal. But rather than encouraging the consumption of folate-rich foods such as eggs and dairy, policymakers chose mass fortification as a one-size-fits-all solution delivered through refined grain staples.

All forms of fortification are a bid to make the population healthier by choosing what goes into people’s food rather than giving them the option. The issue is that the addition of cheap synthetic vitamins and minerals often makes wheat products such as bread harder to digest. The record numbers of those who are gluten intolerant and who choose to avoid grains due to difficulty digesting may not be down to grains themselves but to the artificial pesticides sprayed on the grains during farming, as well as all the processing and fortification that is added later on when taking grain from plant to flour on the shelf.

Folic acid is usually recommended for those who are pregnant, so why are we adding it to everyone's flour when statistics show that only 4-7% of the UK population are deficient in B9, also known as folic acid?

Who needs to avoid folic acid?

There are also millions of people who need to avoid folic acid supplementation, and this is clearly outlined on government websites such as the NHS, yet there is no warning or labelling on food packaging to alert users.

The UK’s NHS website states that folic acid may not be suitable for those who have had an allergic reaction to it in the past, those with a B12 deficiency or pernicious anaemia, those with a coronary stent, or those with cancer. This adds up to millions within the UK who fall under such categories.

Up to 40% of people also carry an MTHFR genetic mutation, which can make it harder for their bodies to efficiently convert synthetic folic acid into the active form the body actually uses. For these individuals, natural folate works more reliably.

The NHS also states that some medicines, remedies and supplements may not mix well with folic acid. So apart from not wanting to add folic acid to your diet, understanding who should not, or at least be wary of, adding folic acid is really important and is definitely something not talked about enough to raise awareness among the affected groups.

Why natural folate is best

As with many synthetic supplements, folic acid is produced through a chemical process. The raw materials are 2,4,5-triamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (or related pteridine derivatives) and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). These components are chemically reacted and joined together under controlled conditions, often involving a pterin ring system, a bridge group, and L-glutamic acid. As you can see, this is a highly synthetic process, and, as with all synthetic supplements, the production remains almost exclusively petrochemical-based.

Compare this to natural folate, which exists naturally in foods such as liver, fruit, asparagus, and dark leafy greens. There are no petroleum-derived raw materials or chemical processing, just the natural creation of highly bioavailable folate.

Natural folate is also already active and does not require a complex, multi-step conversion within the liver to be processed efficiently. Folic acid supplementation is also noted to have some side effects that can include bloating, flatulence, nausea, and a loss of appetite.

How to avoid fortified bread

So how do you actually avoid this mandatory addition of folic acid and fortified flour as a whole? Thankfully, it isn’t too difficult. Step one is what most of us should already be doing: avoiding ultra-processed foods, since most foods made with wheat will have that wheat fortified. Step two is to buy whole-grain flour when making your own bread or bakes at home. You can also opt for ancient grains, since both are entirely exempt from fortification.

Step three is to buy normal flour from small flour mills, since these are exempt from fortification rules if they produce less than 500 tonnes of flour per annum. Lastly, choose to support bakers who choose not to use fortified flour in their bakes, but instead source from small mills or use whole grains. This often means you are supporting local bakers, mills and farmers as well, helping to keep local communities thriving.

Summary

We should be able to choose exactly what goes into our food, or at least have the choice between fortified and unfortified flour, rather than having to jump through hoops to avoid it. When this choice is taken away, and we have no say in what is added to our food, where does it stop when it comes to fortification? This is the fifth supplement already added to our flour.

Once again, the choice is in your hands, and voting with your money for the change you want to see is important. Yes, this is another reason to avoid normal flour, but it is also an opportunity to support local and small-scale flour production. Whole and ancient grains are also better for us, providing extra nutrients and fibre. So let this be the call you needed to start choosing better grains.