Bill > HB384

This bill updates Alabama's food regulations by modifying definitions in existing law and introducing new requirements for corn masa and corn masa products. Specifically, the bill adds precise definitions for terms like "corn masa" (a dry flour product made from corn treated with slaked lime through a process called nixtamalization) and updates definitions for other food-related terms like bread, flour, cornmeal, and grits. The key provision mandates that manufacturers must include specific amounts of folic acid in corn masa (0.7 milligrams per pound) and corn masa products (0.4 milligrams per pound) when selling these items for human consumption. The bill provides two exemptions to this requirement: corn masa or masa products made by cottage food production operations and those offered for sale by grocery stores already selling conforming products. The changes align with federal regulatory standards by updating references from older Code of Federal Regulations sections to current ones and modernizing the language of existing definitions. The bill is set to become effective on June 1, 2026, giving manufacturers and sellers time to adjust to the new requirements.

Health and Social Services

https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/bill-search