The recipe for tortillas sold in California is set to change, as a state law taking effect in the new year will require the addition of an ingredient that could improve the health of infants.

The statute, which comes into force on New Year's Day, mandates that most tortillas and corn masa products sold in the Golden State contain folic acid, a B vitamin supplement that can help prevent major birth defects of the brain and spine.

But the taste of the state's tacos may be adversely impacted by the law because even the small amount of folic acid required could have an unpleasant impact on the tortilla's flavor.

Tortilla factory owners along with Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano noticed the difference right away when they participated in a blind taste-test last year. He and the factory owners could immediately tell the difference between a regular tortilla and one that had the added folic acid.

"The first tasted the way a pure corn tortilla should: a pleasant initial tinge of sourness, a soft texture, a concluding rush of earthiness," Arellano wrote. "The second one had a subtle taste of … something."

"It lingered longer on the palate than an old-school tortilla and turned too rubbery in my mouth," he said. "The difference was obvious — it contained folic acid."

Data cited by health advocates who have argued in favor of fortified masa shows that Latina women in California are far less likely than other women to ingest enough of the vitamin early on in pregnancy.

Approximately 28% of Latinas reported taking folic acid the month before becoming pregnant between 2017 and 2019, compared to 46% of white women, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.

A lack of folic acid during pregnancy can raise the risk of serious birth defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly. Studies show folic acid can cut the risk of these brain and spinal cord defects by as much as 70%.

In 1998, the U.S. began requiring manufacturers to add folic acid to certain grain products, including pasta, rice and cereals, to help women get enough of the vitamin. Since then, the rate of babies born with neural tube defects has dropped by about one-third, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even with that progress, Latina women have continued to experience higher rates of these birth defects. While the federal government approved folic acid being added to corn masa flour, it was optional — not required.

That's now changing at the state level. Under Assembly Bill 1830, California has become the first state to require folic acid in corn masa products, a key ingredient in many staple Latino foods.

Alabama has passed a similar law, set to take effect in June 2026.

Some tortilla manufacturers are ahead of the game, however. Irving, Texas-based Mission Foods says it began fortifying its products in 2016, after the federal government first allowed it, and the company supports the new laws in California and Alabama.