California is taking a stand against food dyes in public school food.
The state has officially banned six harmful food dyes from all snacks and food options available in public schools – Red Dye 40, Yellow Dye 5, Yellow Dye 6, Blue Dye 1, Blue Dye 2, and Green Dye 3. All of these dyes have been linked with neurological and behavioral issues in kids.
“School meals provide essential nutrition and calories for countless children each day,” said Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D., Environmental Working Group senior scientist. “Kids deserve wholesome foods that enhance their learning rather than detract from it, and parents need to feel confident schools are offering meals that are both safe and nutritious.”
Will more states follow suit?
With this bill, California lawmakers are hopeful that other states will follow their lead.
In 2023, California passed AB 418, a bill that banned the sale, distribution, or manufacturing of any product that contained Red Dye 3, Potassium Bromate, Brominated Vegetable Oil, and Propyl Paraben. As a result, specific foods weren’t banned; rather, companies were encouraged to alter existing products to fit the specifications of the law.
With this new law, which will be known as the California School Food Safety Act, lawmakers are hoping for a similar shift. With companies being forced to adjust their products, those new products – without food dyes – will become available in more states. While it remains to be seen whether this trend will catch on, California legislators are hopeful.
“California is once again leading the nation when it comes to protecting our kids from dangerous chemicals that can harm their bodies and interfere with their ability to learn,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino).
“This bipartisan law will empower schools to better protect the health and wellbeing of students and sends a strong message to manufacturers to stop using these harmful additives. I am grateful to Governor Newsom and Superintendent Thurmond for their partnership, and I hope that the overwhelming bipartisan support for this new law will encourage the federal government to take a more proactive role in protecting Americans from dangerous chemicals in our food supply.”
Following the latest science
Experts have found that children have a much lower tolerance for chemical exposure, which makes them uniquely at risk for the long-term health risks associated with these dyes.
Additionally, while the use of these food dyes has been approved by the FDA in the past, nearly all of them haven’t been evaluated in decades. While studies have come out about the effects of exposure to these chemicals, the FDA hasn’t officially looked into the health risks that children face from continued exposure.
“The FDA continues to fail to keep us safe from harmful chemicals in our food,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. “In the absence of federal leadership, states like California are stepping up to ensure our safety from toxic chemicals in snacks and other food we and our families enjoy.”