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WIN!! Corn Masa Products will NOT
Require Synthetic Folic Acid to be Added
Thanks to AVFCA Lobbying Efforts!

AB 1830 was introduced by Assembly member Arambula at the beginning of the 2024 California Legislative session. There are many bills which A Voice for Choice Advocacy works on behind the scenes, on your behalf, through our strong relationships in the Capital. This is more effective than a mass public onslaught of opposition, when we are asking the author to amend their bill.

This bill would have required ALL corn masa flour sold or distributed in California to be fortified with synthetic folic acid. A Voice for Choice Advocacy’s efforts in working with Asm Arambula’s staff and the Senate Health committee staffer amended AB 1830 so that both fortified and unfortified masa flour products will be available in California. This is a big WIN for Californians, allowing you to have choice in where you source your folate/folic acid. If you would like to read the amended bill language, click here: [link removed] [[link removed]] (Note: The amended language is convoluted in that it still looks like there is a mandate, but when you get to the section on exemptions it is clear that it is optional.)

AB 1830 Background: While AVFCA agrees with the premise of the bill that Vitamin B9/11 (folate in its natural found in food or folic acid in its synthetic form) is extremely important for mothers to be and babies, as folic acid has been shown to be successful in reducing the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs). NTDs are more prevalent in Hispanic communities with the thought being that they do not eat as much wheat that is enriched with folic acid. Therefore by mandating folic acid be added to all corn masa flour (nixilated corn that is used for tortillas, papusas and other traditional Mexican dishes) the author believed Hispanic pregnant women would increase their folic acid intake and thereby prevent more NTDs. As introduced this bill was not narrowly tailored. Therefore, the primary focus of AVFCA's requested amendments was to ensure those with allergies, genetic issues and potential adverse drug interactions to synthetic folic acid have access to unfortified corn masa products, as well as to ensure the ability for Californians to choose to get folic acid from fortified corn or from a different source, rather than forcing everyone to intake folic acid if they are eating corn masa products. AVFCA promoted amendments which would do this, as well as educate Hispanic pregnant women on the importance of folate/folic acid in their diet to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Over the past 9 years, A Voice for Choice Advocacy has established itself as the leading legislative organization lobbying in the California Capitol for your health rights. For those less familiar with AVFCA's prior years legislative successes, AVFCA sponsored AB 1989 (Garcia) in 2020, which requires all ingredients to be labeled on menstrual products; SB 499 (Menjivar) in 2023, which would have increased tree canopies and reduced asphalt and plastic surfaces in schools (halted due to budget issues); and SB 1266 (Limon) this year which will ban bisphenol from all children's drinking and sucking products. AVFCA is the only Health Freedom organization in California that has had such success in getting bills authored, and specifically all by strong Democrat legislators. Sponsoring bills allows AVFCA to build stronger relationships with legislators and their staff, so that when there are bad bills we can work with those same offices and be considered a reliable, professional, reasonable and research based organization.

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

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Together we can make change happen!

C
Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected] [[email protected]]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org [[link removed]]
www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org [www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org]
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