In the UK, folic acid must be added to non-whole wheat flour to help prevent birth defects.

Adding folic acid to flour could prevent around 200 cases of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, each year and improve the health of pregnant women, says the government, giving manufacturers until the end of 2026 to comply with standards. new legal requirement.

Pregnant women and women trying to conceive should continue to take a folic acid supplement — the synthetic version of the vitamin folate — as doctors currently recommend.

Folic acid is particularly important during early pregnancy, as it contributes to the healthy development of the baby’s brain, skull and spinal cord.

Experts, many of whom have been calling for this decision for several years, welcomed the government’s decision.

This announcement follows health improvements in other countries, such as Australia and Canada, where this practice is already practiced.

Some say, however, that the change does not go far enough and that more foods should be included.

Professor Neena Modi, professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London, said: “This will disadvantage groups such as gluten-sensitive women, who eat rice in preference to bread and wholemeal products – excluding them and their babies from the benefit.” , and thus adding to the considerable health inequalities that already exist in the UK.

Vitamin folate, also known as vitamin B9, is found in everyday foods such as beans and some green vegetables, meaning most people get a sufficient dose by eating a regular, healthy diet. .

Additionally, the NHS recommends that women who are trying to have a baby take folic acid supplements for around three months before becoming pregnant and for at least 12 weeks after becoming pregnant. This recommendation will remain in effect.

It is estimated that half of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned. Fortifying flour will therefore help to increase folic acid intake within the population and, indirectly, to better protect unborn babies.

The government’s independent advisory body has reviewed all the evidence and is convinced that enrichment is the right course of action for society as a whole.

Small millers (producing less than 500 tonnes of flour per year) will be exempt.

The flour is already enriched with calcium, niacin, thiamine and iron to improve public health.