# What is the Point in 'Enriching' Flour in the U.S.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935 "2005-09-28T23:25:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/1 "2005-09-28T23:25:18Z")
I have a bag of pretzels before me. But I don’t have to give the brand name, because what is says is typical of things containing wheat flour in the U.S. The wheat flour in it has been “enriched” with Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin and Folic Acid. Fine then, these have been added to the flour because the government thinks a segment of the U.S. population might be deficient in these nutrients. But that is not my question. My question is, if the product has been enriched in these nutrients, why doesn’t it even mention these nutrients on the Nutrition Facts label? The only thing this product seems to have is 8 percent of the daily values for iron. Zero percent for Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Calcium. Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin and Folic Acid aren’t even mentioned. What happened to the nutrients this product was enriched with? And what was the point in adding such a small amount that it didn’t even show up on the Nutrition label 😕 ? Thank you in advance to all who reply 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/2 "2005-09-29T00:03:41Z")
Sorry for the hijack, but I notice 3 ads in french at the bottom of this thread. So, I’m wondering : do other people see them too? Or is google ad system showing different ads to different people based on the IP address (I somehow doubt it, since on other threads, I see ads in english) End of the hijack. Sorry for it, but I had to ask in this thread so that people could answer my question. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/3 "2005-09-29T00:23:48Z")
\ I’m seeing two ads for folic acid, and two for calcium, and all are in English. Looks like it may be targeting you specifically. \ ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/4 "2005-09-29T00:57:34Z")
I’m not an expert and I’m going from memory, so maybe someone else will come along and fill in the details. But as I understand it, if something’s not made from _whole_ wheat, they “enrich” the flour by adding vitamins to make up for those that are lost in the part of the wheat they didn’t use. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/5 "2005-09-29T03:10:03Z")
I found this in Zenas Block’s invaluable _It’s All on the Label_: > [@](#): > > Upon its introduction, opposition to mass-produced white flour was expressed in two countries - the United States and England - but not in other countries. The principal argument, then as now, was that whole-wheat flour and bread were more natural, and that the country people who ate it lived longer and were healthier than those who did not - referring to country people who had lived in the past… > > As we learned more about the actual nutrients found in wheat, it certainly did become clear that most of the thiamine, niacin, and iron present in whole-grain flour was removed during the production of white flour… > > There is no question that more nutrients are removed than are restored by enrichment, but there is no evidence that this matters nutritionally, when we consider that bread is such a small part of our diets… In fact, this view is so strongly held in other countries that enrichment is not allowed in France and is considered unnecessary in Holland. In England, the amounts of nutrients added back to flour are less than the amounts used in the United States… > > It was evident, however, back in 1941, when our voluntary enrichment program began, that flour provided an excellent medium to provide thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and iron with no harmful effects on the poulation… Basically, the amount of thiamine, niacin, and iron added was meant to restore those nutrients to the original whole-wheat level. Riboflavin was added at higher levels because it was judged to be necessary in greater quantity. > > Pellagra was a fairly common disease in the South in the 1940s, and the introduction of enrichment to white bread played a major part in virtually wiping it out. It’s a 1981 book so some of the details, especially about Europe, may have changed since. And other sources dispute that all the missing nutrients are put back, although they not be as bioavailable in the new form. The 1992 _Essential Guide to Vitamins and Minerals_ by Elizabeth Somer gives this comparison of the nutrients in white compared to whole wheat flour. White bread contains: 22% of the magnesium 38% of the zinc 28% of the chromium 42% of the copper 12% of the manganese 4% of the vitamin E 18% of the vitamin B[sub]6[/sub] 63% of the folic acid 56% of the pantothenic acid ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/6 "2005-09-29T03:23:22Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Sorry for the hijack, but I notice 3 ads in french at the bottom of this thread. > > So, I’m wondering : do other people see them too? Or is google ad system showing different ads to different people based on the IP address (I somehow doubt it, since on other threads, I see ads in english) > > End of the hijack. Sorry for it, but I had to ask in this thread so that people could answer my question. **clair**. Normally I would cite you for hijacking this thread, but I understand why you did it. Your case would not be likely repeated. Posters from a country other than the US getting country-specific ads is interesting and timely. You might try posting the results of your experiment in the ATMB thread in which Jerry(the tech god) Davis is posting. **FOR OTHER POSTERS WHO WISH TO TRY THIS EXPERIMENT-------DONT!** We try not to allow hijacks in GQ. This particular one I allow for the reason I cited. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/7 "2005-09-29T04:11:47Z")
They put in more folic acid now than they did in 1992; they upped the required amount in [1998](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/13/health/13brod.html?ex=1128139200&en=65cb6ffb4686224f&ei=5070) to prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. Women who don’t get enough folic acid early in their pregnancies (early enough that they frequently don’t know they’re pregnant yet) are _much_ likelier to have babies with neural tube issues. The number of babies born with them in the US has dropped significantly since 1998. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/8 "2005-09-29T04:33:32Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Sorry for the hijack, but I notice 3 ads in french at the bottom of this thread. > > So, I’m wondering : do other people see them too? Or is google ad system showing different ads to different people based on the IP address (I somehow doubt it, since on other threads, I see ads in english) > > End of the hijack. Sorry for it, but I had to ask in this thread so that people could answer my question. All I ever get is ads for starting a franchise for the **Grand Knights of the Chicago Reader…(your location here)… Chapter** ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-in-enriching-flour-in-the-u-s/323935/9 "2005-09-29T04:35:24Z")
Gluten free of course.