Why a new CA law requires tortilla makers to use folic acid

from Ana B. IbarraCalMatters

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Tortillas sold in California will have a new ingredient designed to help grow healthy babies.

A new law will go into effect Jan. 1 that requires most tortillas and cornmeal products sold in the state to contain folic acid, a vitamin important to the health of babies.

Latinos in California are much less likely than other women to get enough folic acid in early pregnancy—a gap that can lead to life-changing birth defects.

State data shows that between 2017 and 2019 — the most recent years for which state data is available — about 28% of Hispanics reported taking folic acid a month before becoming pregnant. White women take the vitamin at higher rates, with 46 percent of them reporting consuming folic acid, according to the California Department of Public Health.

This puts Hispanics at higher risk of having a baby with neural tube defects — defects of the brain and spinal cord. Some examples of this are conditions like spina bifida and anencephaly.

Research shows that folic acid can reduces birth defects by up to 70%. That is why it is contained in prenatal vitamins. But because women may not know they’re pregnant until weeks or months later, public health has long recommended that folic acid be added to staple foods as well.

In 1998, the US required manufacturers to fortify certain grain products with folic acid, such as pasta, rice and cereals, to help women of reproductive age get the required amounts. Since this rule went into effect, the percentage of babies born with neural tube defects dropped by about a thirdaccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But even with the addition of these foods, birth defect rates among babies born to Hispanics are consistently higher. In search of a more crop-friendly supplement, in 2016 the federal government allowed cornmeal makers to add folic acid to their feed — but didn’t require it.

Joaquin Arambula, a Fresno Democrat who authored the law, said the exclusion of folic acid from cornmeal products, used in many staple Latin American foods, is a “real oversight.”

Now, with the application of Assembly Bill of 1830California is the first state to require folic acid in cornmeal products. The law requires manufacturers doing business in the state to add 0.7 milligrams of folic acid to each pound of flour and list the addition on their nutrition labels. The law makes exceptions for small-batch manufacturers such as restaurants and markets, which can make their own tortillas from scratch.

Months after the California law was signed, Alabama adopted its own version. His law takes effect in June 2026.

Some major manufacturers have been adding folic acid to their products for years. Gruma, the parent company of Mission Foods, said it began fortifying its foods back in 2016, when the federal government first allowed it. A company spokesperson said Gruma “has a long-standing commitment to supporting legislative strengthening initiatives” and supports the new laws in California and Alabama.

Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a cost they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.