California Law Now Requires Corn Tortillas To Contain This Ingredient

The new year often means that state laws passed years ago come into effect, and one such piece of legislation is changing corn tortillas in California. Given the size of the California market, this could change things for the rest of us too. Beginning January 1, California Assembly Bill 1830: "requires corn masa flour and wet corn masa products to be fortified with folic acid," specifically 0.7 mg of folic acid per one pound of corn masa flour used.

Folic acid is a beneficial additive, particularly for pregnancy. It's been proven to reduce the likelihood of certain severe birth defects that develop early in pregnancy, like spina bifida. And the California Assembly unanimously passed this bill in 2024 with the intent of reducing such birth defects, particularly among the state's Latino communities, where they are disproportionately common, according to Fox 5 San Diego.

Much of the food supply is already fortified with folic acid, which has been associated with a 25%-50% reduction in such birth defects since 1998. But folic acid uptake is also thought to be connected to lower rates of heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer's, and possibly cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.

If you're looking to increase your folic acid uptake, remember first that daily recommended values are likely a good target. Taking vitamin B9 pills for folic acid can be easy to overdo for instance, which is why you can stop taking those vitamins and supplements and get the nutrients from foods, like black-eyed peas. One serving of black-eyed peas contains 44% of the daily recommended value of folate, which is the natural form of folic acid.

Other benefits of good folate levels include increased alertness and reaction times. That's why some of the best foods and beverages to keep your alert and focused are rich in folate, like kale, spinach, and turnip greens. But if you want an unusual way to increase your folic acid consumption, a condiment from across the pond offers a solution. One of the healthiest foods you've never heard of is Marmite, a yeast extract spread that is rather nutritious (if salty), with good levels of protein, riboflavin, and, of course, folic acid.