Fearing News! California’s Progress on Banning Food Dyes in School Lunches: What You Need to Know

MJP –

A measure that would ban the use of specific food colors in school lunches has made its way through the California legislature and is now on its way to the governor’s desk.

Schools in the state will be required to remove six chemicals from their menus if Governor Gavin Newsom signs a bill prohibiting their use. These chemicals have been linked to various health problems.

This law applies to the following food dyes: Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, and Green Dye No. 3.

California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) wrote the measure, which has the support of Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group. Gabriel was also the driving force behind the fight to prohibit the sale of certain ingredients in certain processed foods in California.

Although the cherished candy was exempt from the legislation, that bill became notorious for its unwelcome “Skittles ban” label.

“It is unacceptable that we permit schools to serve foods with additives that are linked to neurobehavioral harms,” Gabriel, a parent of an ADHD-diagnosed child, said.

He stated that if the bill were to become law, it would encourage manufacturers to cease using the dangerous compounds and give schools more power to protect students’ well-being.

“California has a responsibility to protect our students from toxins that hurt children and that can interfere with their capacity to study,” Gabriel stated in a news release issued by Consumer Reports.

The dyes included in this most recent bill, according to proponents of the measure, were not picked at random but rather the State of California’s official determination that some youngsters were “vulnerable to behavioral difficulties and decreased attention.”

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Even though the chemical additives are safe to consume according to the FDA, proponents of the measure claim that the agency hasn’t reevaluated the additives’ safety in decades.

Some research suggests that red dyes, and especially red dye No. 40, can harm children’s brain development, increasing their risk of hyperactivity and possibly cancer. The dye’s safety has not been reevaluated since 1971, according to Consumer Reports.

When used under FDA regulations, food colorants pose no health risks to consumers, according to the FDA, which has “reviewed and will continue to examine the effects of color additives on children’s behavior.”

The potential negative impacts of color additives on children’s health should not be underestimated, according to Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group.

The daily nutrition and calorie intake for many youngsters is provided by school meals, according to Stoiber. “Parents should have faith that the schools their children attend aren’t providing them with unhealthy food, and kids should have access to nutritious meals that won’t interfere with their learning.”

Both EWG and Consumer Reports have stated that they were pleased to see the measure passed by the State Legislature and that they hope Governor Newsom would sign it into law.

“The FDA’s track record of inaction regarding the safety of food-borne chemicals is deeply concerning,” stated Melanie Benesh, VP for government affairs at EWG. “When the federal government isn’t looking out for our best interests, states like California are taking the lead in protecting us from harmful chemicals in the snacks and other foods that we eat.”