Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee backs bill to fortify corn masa flour with folic acid to prevent neural-tube defects
Summary
The Senate Agricultural and Consumer Affairs Committee unanimously passed SB 278, the Corn Masa Nutrition Enhancement Act, requiring fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid (with exemptions for cottage foods, restaurants and certain snack items) and approved an author amendment narrowing the snack-food language.
The Senate Agricultural and Consumer Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve SB 278, the Corn Masa Nutrition Enhancement Act, which would require fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid. Senator Sandra Harrell, the bill’s author, told the committee the measure aims to reduce neural tube defects such as spina bifida by reaching women of reproductive age in communities that consume corn-based products rather than fortified wheat.
"A couple decades ago, we discovered that we could prevent a disability called spina bifida by making sure that women of reproductive age had enough folic acid in their system," testified Sharon Bostrack,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
