A landmark law that bans the manufacture, distribution, and sale of foods containing certain additives in California has been made official. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act, Assembly Bill 418 into law on October 7, permanently banning the use of four food additives: brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and FD&C Red 3 (red dye No. 3) in consumer goods.
Approximately 3,000 products use red dye No. 3 as an active ingredient today, including sweets such as Skittles; protein shakes; instant rice and boxed cake mixes.
In the European Union, these four chemicals have previously been banned due to scientific studies that have demonstrated significant public health harms, including increased risk of cancer, behavioral issues in children, harm to the reproductive system, and damage to the immune system.
In response, Skittles has already augmented its formula on the candy in Europe, which Newsom noted in a statement showed “proof that the food industry is capable of maintaining product lines while complying with different public health laws.”
The law will go into effect in January of 2027. Violators will be hit with a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for a first violation and not to exceed $10,000 for each subsequent violation.
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