FDA's 1998 folic acid mandate left corn masa flour unfortified, harming Hispanic communities
The 1998 FDA rule that added folic acid to wheat and rice flours cut neural-tube defects by about 35%, but it excluded corn masa flour, a staple in many Hispanic diets, keeping birth-defect rates high among those groups.
When the FDA required folic acid fortification of enriched cereal grains in 1998, the move was hailed as a major public-health success, reducing spina bifida and similar conditions by roughly a third nationwide. However, the regulation did not cover corn masa flour, which is central to traditional Hispanic cuisine. This regulatory gap has resulted in a persistently higher incidence of preventable neural-tube defects among Hispanic Americans. The omission reflects a broader oversight in addressing dietary patterns specific to ethnic groups.
Why it matters
A regulatory omission leaves millions of Hispanic Americans at higher risk of preventable birth defects.
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