Illegal Tortilla Market Accounts for 40% of Sales in Quintana Roo, Industry Warns

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Four out of every 10 tortillas sold in Quintana Roo come from the black market, making it impossible to trace their origin or verify the quality of ingredients used, according to Rubén Montalvo Morales, state president of the Chamber of Dough and Tortilla.

Montalvo urged authorities to crack down on the proliferation of unregulated establishments that operate without oversight and create unfair competition for legally registered tortillerias.

These illegal businesses sell tortillas for up to 10 pesos (about $0.50) less per kilogram, allowing them to gain a foothold in corner stores and convenience shops, Montalvo said.

The practice has hurt formal producers so severely that some tortillerias have been forced to close or diversify by making products such as totopos, tacos, tostadas, and even salsas to cover operating costs, he added.

Beyond the economic impact, Montalvo warned that the unregulated market poses a potential health risk to consumers, as the type of ingredients used and compliance with sanitary standards remain unknown.

He called on all three levels of government to strengthen regulation and impose penalties on those operating outside the law. Montalvo said agencies such as the Federal Consumer Protection Office (Profeco), the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris), and municipal governments should conduct inspections to identify the origin of tortillas sold in neighborhood stores and convenience shops, where the product is mainly distributed.