-Corn chips, tortillas, tamales, and pupusas, while all delicious, may be missing a key vitamin for women of reproductive age, especially among Latinas.

That's why Fresno lawmaker, Joaquin Arambula, is proposing the addition of folic acid to corn masa flour, a key ingredient used in many classic Latino foods.

Folic acid is a type of vitamin B.

Research has shown it has a high success rate of preventing serious birth defects if taken in the lead-up to becoming pregnant, and in the early weeks of pregnancy.

Less than 30% of Latinas reported taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid the month before becoming pregnant, according to the latest data from the California Department of Public Health.

That's compared to nearly 50% of white and Asian women.

Fresno Assembly Member and physician Joaquin Arambula has introduced a bill to help bridge this gap.

-AB 1830 supports healthy pregnancies by expanding mandatory folic acid fortification to corn masa flour, masa, to prevent birth defects.

Daily consumption of folic acid decreases the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, by more than half.

-The federal government already requires folic acid in certain foods, such as enriched breads and cereal.

If the bill is signed into law, the state would require manufacturers to add a designated amount of folic acid to every pound of corn masa flour.

Making tortillas healthier is something that Luis Navarro, the owner of Lola's Mexican Cuisine in Long Beach, can support.

-Everybody right now, specifically post-pandemic, is really more conscious about their health.

Yes, if those little corn vessels that we use to make tacos and to eat our food with, if we could make those a little healthier, I would be all for it.

-For CalMatters, I'm Ana Ibarra.