Overview
- The requirement takes effect Jan. 1 and sets 0.7 milligrams of folic acid per pound for corn masa flour and 0.04 milligrams per pound for wet corn masa.
- It covers packaged masa harina, tortillas and other processed corn masa sold in stores in California, with small mom-and-pop shops exempt.
- State data show about 28% of Latina women reported taking folic acid before pregnancy versus 46% of white women, and research links the vitamin to up to 70% fewer neural-tube defects.
- Some manufacturers already fortify and support the rule, including Mission Foods, and a bill aide says fortifying a metric ton of masa costs about four cents.
- Alabama has passed a comparable law taking effect in June 2026, and critics warn added folic acid may affect tortilla taste based on blind tests.