- California bans synthetic dyes in school foods
- Companies must reformulate by December 2027
- Concerns over health, ADHD, and FDA regulations
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.
Companies have until December 31, 2027, to reformulate their products and remove the substances associated with developmental issues, or their foods will be banned from being sold in schools.
The latest measure expands on one signed into law by Governor Newsom last year, which banned brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red colour 3.
It was called the Skittles Ban before lawmakers altered it to remove the popular candy’s dye.
According to the regulation, food businesses have until January 2027 to remove substances from their goods or risk fines of up to $10,000.
Manufacturers of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Doritos, Fruit Loops, Gatorade, Kool-Aid, and M&Ms may have their goods removed from cafeterias in the state’s nearly 12,000 public deadline and charter schools if improvements are made.
Gov. Gavin Newsom stated, “Today, we are refusing to accept the status quo and making it possible for everyone, including schoolchildren, to access nutritious, delicious food free of harmful and often addictive additives.”
“By giving every child a healthy start, we can put them on the path to a future with a lower risk of obesity and chronic illness.”
California has taken the lead in efforts to crack down on food manufacturers who use synthetic food dyes that have been linked to developmental and behavioural disorders in children.
Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3, which the FDA considers safe to add to food, have been linked to ADHD symptoms like hyperactivity.
A 2015 meta-analysis examined trials in which food additives were eliminated from children’s diets to evaluate how their ADHD symptoms altered, both blindfolded (they had no idea their diets had changed) and unblinded (they were aware that dyes were no longer present).
Across 14 unblinded studies involving over 2,000 participants, more than 47% exhibited improvement in ADHD symptoms.
Six other studies used placebo-controlled diets or a crossover design in which children rotated between meals, including and excluding food additives. In these trials, the improvement rate was 33%.
Although the data is limited, some of these colours have also been found in animal experiments to raise the likelihood of developing kidney and bladder cancers. The chemicals have also been related to worse asthma.
State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who authored the bill, stated, “California is once again leading the nation in protecting our children from dangerous chemicals that can harm their bodies and interfere with their ability to learn.”
This bipartisan bill will empower schools to protect children’s health and well-being better while also sending manufacturers a strong message to stop using these hazardous ingredients.
However, the food sector has railed against California’s stringent legislation, contending that state governments should not take on regulatory responsibilities that belong to the FDA.
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The business has also contended that Governor Newsom’s assumption of the federal government’s role will weaken public trust in the FDA and its capacity to protect the public against toxins and bad actors.
The International Food Additives Council, a trade organization, stated that “this legislation is not only misguided, but it also increases costs and complexity, ultimately affecting the population that needs nutrition the most while disrupting national food regulations and causing consumer confusion.
‘This approach instils unwarranted fear and mistrust in the federal system.’
Meanwhile, John Hewitt, senior vice president of the Consumer Brands Association, stated, “The approach taken by California politicians ignores our science and risk-based process and is not the precedent we should be setting when it comes to feeding our families.
