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Latino lawmakers request warning labels on unfortified products containing corn masa

Person doughing nixtamalized corn dough in a clay bowl. Typical Mexican food.
Sandor Mejias Brito
/
iStockphoto
Person kneading nixtamalized corn dough in a clay bowl.

The leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is imploring the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to require bilingual warning labels on corn masa flour and products that are not fortified with folic acid.

Folic acid is a B vitamin that can help prevent neural tube defects, known as NTDs, which are severe birth defects of the brain and spine. Spina bifida and anencephaly are two of the most common neural tube defects.

"It is a tragic fact that Hispanic women and babies in the U.S. suffer from higher rates of serious NTDs compared to other groups," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to FDA and HHS. "Such health conditions are devastating to families and can and should be prevented whenever possible."

For the last 25 years, the U.S. has required that grain and cereal products be fortified with folic acid — and the CDC is now urging manufacturers of products made using corn masa flour to add the B vitamin to minimize the risk of birth defects in the Latino population.

The letter continued:

"Corn masa flour and corn masa products like tortillas, tamales and pupusas are a key part of many Latinos' diets. Over half of Hispanic women of reproductive age report regularly consuming these foods. However, despite the FDA allowing voluntary folic acid fortification of corn masa flour since 2016, 0% of corn tortillas and just 14% of corn masa flour were fortified with folic acid in 2022.”

The lawmakers' letter calls for clear, mandatory, bilingual labels in English and Spanish on products containing corn masa when a product lacks folic acid fortification.

The Caucus also asked FDA and HHS to act on petition from UNIDOSUS, the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, making a similar request for bilingual labeling of corn masa products.

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