On September 12, the California Senate passed a first-of-its-kind Assembly bill in the U.S. that would ban additives red dye No. 3., potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propyl paraben from foods and beverages.
Assembly Bill 418, known as the California Food Safety Act, is now in the state’s Governor’s hands, and many expect him to sign the bill into law. These four chemicals have previously been outlawed in 27 nations in the European Union. A fifth food additive, titanium dioxide, was previously included in the bill; however, it was dropped because it didn’t have bipartisan support.
“Californians shouldn’t have to worry that the food they buy in their neighborhood grocery store might be full of dangerous additives or toxic chemicals,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel chair of the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection who introduced the bill. “This bill will correct for a concerning lack of federal oversight and help protect our kids, public health, and the safety of our food supply.”
The four additives are often used to make food look more appealing and increase shelf life. Among the products these additives appear in include orange soda, icing, hamburger rolls, candies, and processed foods. Gabriel further noted that the additives are often included in packaged items that are marketed to low-income communities and communities of color.
The hope for the legislation is that manufacturers will remove the additives from their products altogether—not just creating different formulas for California—so the bill could have a nation-wide impact. An analysis conducted by the state’s Assembly Health Committee has found that alternatives for all four additives exist, often at a lesser cost, so removing them from products shouldn’t be challenging.
Red dye No. 3 has been banned by FDA for use in cosmetics due to studies revealing it causes cancer in lab animals in high doses, but the agency has allowed it to continue to be used in foods and beverages.
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