A 5119 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Establishes "Fortifying Corn Masa Act."

This bill, known as the Fortifying Corn Masa Act, mandates that corn masa flour and wet corn masa products sold in New Jersey be fortified with folic acid to help reduce the risk of neural tube defects, which disproportionately affect Latino communities. The legislation requires manufacturers to add specific amounts of folic acid - 0.7 milligrams per pound for dry flour and 0.4 milligrams per pound for wet products - within one year of the act's effective date. Additionally, the bill mandates that nutrition labels on these products clearly declare the presence of folic acid and identify the product as containing corn masa flour or being made through a wet corn masa process. While voluntary industry standards currently cover only a small percentage of these products, this state law ensures consistent fortification for all residents regardless of their dietary staples.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced May 18, 2026 Last action Jun 30, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Reprint · 4 edits
MODERATE
The First Reprint of A5119 expands the scope of exemptions from folic acid fortification requirements for corn masa products. Two new categories are exempted: grocery stores that sell both fortified and non-fortified corn masa flour, and snack foods (chips, crackers, popcorn, soft drinks, etc.). Supporting definitions for 'grocery store' and 'snack foods' were added to the bill.
Scope change
The bill's enforcement scope narrowed by adding two new exemption categories (grocery stores selling non-fortified corn masa flour alongside fortified versions, and snack foods), meaning fewer products and businesses are subject to the folic acid fortification requirement.
DEFINITION

New definition of 'grocery store' as a store primarily engaged in retail sale of canned foods, dry goods, fresh produce, and fresh meats/fish/poultry, including convenience stores.

New definition of 'snack foods' covering trail mix, popcorn, chips, crackers, hard pretzels, pork rinds, corn nuts, nuts (excluding pine nuts and candy-coated nuts), and packaged soft drinks with natural or artificial sweeteners.

ELIGIBILITY

The exemption in Section 4(d)(2) was expanded from only cottage food operators to also include grocery stores that sell both fortified and non-fortified corn masa flour, and snack foods. This means these categories are no longer required to meet the folic acid fortification standard.

TECHNICAL

The legislative statement section at the end of the bill was removed in the reprint version.

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Total actions
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Committee
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May 18, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
lower
2 primary · 2 co-sponsors

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