As we all know, California became the first Banana foie gras year 2004. A new bill in Sacramento, if passed, would mandate the addition of folic acid to corn masa. The cost of this well-intentioned idea, backed by public health, will, as always, fall disproportionately on small businesses.
Act of Parliament 1830Introduced by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), all masa manufacturers would be required to add folic acid to their products. This will impact manufacturers of tortillas, as well as manufacturers of tortillas, tamales and taco shells, to name a few.
Its principle is based on Research Studies show that folic acid intake in women of childbearing age can reduce neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.
Since 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated folic acid fortification Fortified flourThis reportedly resulted in a 35% reduction in neural tube birth defects data From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, the FDA’s directive does not apply to unenriched grains or corn meal. There is evidence that Latino mothers have lower folate intake than other ethnic groups, leading to higher rates of birth defects. California Department of Public Health data Research shows that only 28% of Latina women reported taking folic acid before pregnancy, compared with 46% of white women. A 2009 CDC study showed that mandatory fortification of masa increased folate intake by as much as 20% In Mexican Americans.
In 2016, the FDA implemented rule This allows manufacturers of masa flour to voluntarily add folic acid to their products. 2023 Report The Center for Science in the Public Interest found that only 14% of masa products contained folic acid, prompting calls for mandatory folic acid fortification.
Earlier this year, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra held a meeting Roundtable The topic of masa fortification – an event attended primarily by trade associations and large retailers – suggests the federal government may be preparing to take action. California lawmakers, meanwhile, decided to get on with their mission.
The costs of government mandates always fall hardest on small businesses and entrepreneurs. Los Angeles Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano Report Small-batch tortilla makers like La Princesita Tortilleria in East Los Angeles are starting to panic. La Princesita uses alkalization method (involving only corn masa, water, and lime), a method that dates back to millennium.
Arellano, who likens the taste of mass-produced tortillas in most grocery stores to “the lickable part of an envelope,” conducted a blind taste test of La Princesita’s traditional tortillas and the same tortillas with folic acid. He immediately tasted a difference, with the folic acid version having a unique but unidentifiable persistent flavor and a more rubbery texture when chewed. La Princesita conducted the same test on its employees, who agreed that the folic acid version had less flavor, not to mention color.
“The danger is that manufacturers who make tortillas in the traditional way lose their market advantage over others,” Arellano wrote in an email. “This would certainly have an impact on their bottom line, but it would be worse. It’s cultural influence. Imagine that the way you eat goes back thousands of years. [are] The government tells you you can’t do it anymore? Cultural imperialism at its worst!
Few question the public health benefits of preventing birth defects, but whether adding folic acid to masa is the best solution is controversial. Neither the United States nor California requires the addition of folic acid unenriched flour, emphasizing the arbitrary nature of the task. Artisan bakeries in the Golden State that use heirloom grains — hangouts frequented by middle-class hipsters and other high-income folks — don’t really have to worry about folate fortification at all.
Arellano believes that considering targeting Martha is hypothetical research shows Latinos in the United States consume more fortified flour tortillas than corn tortillas. “If this bill wants really To address health inequalities,” Arellano said, “they will take a holistic approach rather than a narrow approach that is arbitrary and rigid.
Masa fortified alternatives exist. Can also be added to Salt (nThat should be enforced too), which has been a time-honored carrier of iodine and iron fortification. There could also be more public education about the importance of folic acid for pregnant mothers, as well as encouraging women of childbearing age to consider eating more folic acid-rich foods or taking folic acid. Vitamin B9 Supplements.
For their part, East Los Angeles taco makers are advocating exemption Ideal for restaurants or small batch producers. Lawmakers could also consider granting exemptions to producers below a certain threshold, leaving mandatory compliance and costs to Big Tortillas. La Princesita was even willing to accept a specific product line that would allow the production of tortillas containing folic acid, while retaining its production line of original recipe tortillas. But at least so far, California lawmakers don’t seem inclined to #SaveTheTortilla.
