Corn tortillas in California will now include folic acid to help prevent birth defects.

California requires folic acid to be added to corn masa flour used in tortillas and similar foods to lower rates of neural tube defects; other states are considering similar steps.

California now requires that folic acid be added to corn masa flour used to make tortillas and foods such as tamales and pupusas. Folic acid is a form of folate, a B vitamin important for making new cells and for early development of the neural tube, which becomes the brain and spine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says folic acid is the only form of folate shown to help prevent serious neural tube defects. The move responds to persistent disparities in neural tube defect rates and follows earlier fortification of enriched grains that began in 1998. What is known: - California's requirement was put in place in January and applies to corn masa flour used for tortillas, tamales, pupusas and similar products. - The CDC notes folic acid can help prevent neural tube defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida and advises consistent intake before and during early pregnancy. - Folic acid has been added to enriched breads, cereals and pastas in the U.S. since 1998, a change that reduced neural tube defects overall but left higher rates in some populations, including Hispanic infants. - The requirement is intended in part to reach Latina women, who public health data report are less likely to take folic acid early in pregnancy. - Other states are considering similar measures; Alabama has a comparable law taking effect in June, and legislation is being discussed in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Oregon, with interest also noted in Texas, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Summary: The rule extends folic acid fortification to a staple ingredient in many Hispanic foods with the goal of reducing neural tube defects. Several other states are weighing similar policies, and Alabama's comparable law is scheduled to take effect in June.