California schoolchildren will soon lose their favourite lunchtime munchies as the state inches closer to outlawing artificial ingredients in hundreds of items.The California School Food Safety Act was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newson last week. It prohibits using Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 in meals, beverages, and snacks supplied in most K-12 school cafeterias across the state.Officials claim that the new rule will not ban any items. Still, as many companies already do in European markets, it would oblige food makers to remove chemical dyes from their recipes and replace them with natural alternatives, such as carrot or beet juice.