10-08-2023 5:29pm

State of California Bans Popular Candy, Soft Drinks And Cereal Additives

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

SACRAMENTO— California has signed into law a bill that will ban four chemicals used in processed foods, becoming the first state to do so. The California Food Safety Act prohibits the sale and manufacturing of food containing Red Dye No. 3, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and propylparaben. The ban will take effect in 2027, allowing brands time to bring their recipes into compliance.

The chemicals prohibited by the law have been banned in several European countries, and are linked to health issues such as increased cancer risk. According to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, which co-sponsored the bill with Consumer Reports, the additives haven’t been reviewed by the FDA in several decades, if ever.

Many major brands and manufacturers, such as Coke, Pepsi, Gatorade, Dunkin', Papa John's, and Panera, have already stopped using the additives in their products, according to Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat.

The National Confectioners Association has criticized the law, calling it “a slippery slope.” However, the Environmental Working Group has noted that the size of California’s economy could deter manufacturers from making multiple versions for U.S. distribution of up to 12,000 affected products.

In New York, a similar ban is working its way through the legislative committee. Additionally, the Environmental Working Group has signed on to two petitions being considered by the FDA to revoke approval of Red Dye No. 3 and titanium dioxide in food. The substances banned by California law have each been linked to serious health problems, including a higher risk of cancer, nervous system damage, hyperactivity, and other behavioral problems.

By Anita Johnson-Brown

Photo: American Chemical Society.