FDA Gives Manufacturers Go-Ahead To Add Folic Acid To Corn Flour, Tortillas To Reduce Birth Defects

Corn masa flour, used to make tortillas and tamales, is a staple in the diets of many people in the United States who are from Mexico or Central America. Until last week, though, the Food and Drug Administration did not allow manufacturers to fortify the flour with folic acid, which might help reduce women's risk of having a baby with spina bifida or another neural tube defect.