Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, M&Ms and other items made with certain synthetic food dyes will be kicked out of California public schools, charter schools and state special schools under a bill signed into law Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom .
Assembly Bill 2316, which takes effect December 31, 2027, spells the end of snack foods containing the dyes known as blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 40, yellow 5 and yellow 6. All are common in the industry. staples that can give foods unnaturally bright colors in an attempt to make them more appealing.
“Our health is inextricably linked to the food we eat,” Newsom said in a statement. “Today, we refuse to accept the status quo and give everyone, including schoolchildren, the opportunity to access nutritious and delicious food, without harmful and often addictive additives. »
The chemicals have been linked to developmental and behavioral disorders in children, according to the bill’s authors, who cited a 2021 report from the California Environmental Protection Agency. They expressed hope that the new law could have ripple effects beyond the Golden State.
“California is once again leading the nation when it comes to protecting our children from dangerous chemicals that can harm their bodies and interfere with their ability to learn,” said Rep. Jesse Gabriel (D- Encino), a member of the Assembly, who introduced the bill.
The new law “sends a strong message to manufacturers to stop using these harmful additives,” he added in a statement.
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos contain three of the six newly banned chemicals: red 40, yellow 5 and yellow 6. The M&Ms’ ingredient list includes these three dyes as well as blue 1 and blue 2.
Other food products that could disappear from school cafeterias and vending machines as a result of this law include Cheetos, Doritos, sports drinks and sugary breakfast cereals such as Froot Loops and Cap’n Crunch.
For Gabriel, the bill is personal. He told The Times in March that he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a child. Her son also suffers from a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Last year, Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation ban on food additives found in popular cereals, candies, sodas and beverages, including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red coloring No. 3 This law will come into force in January. .1 2027 and impose fines of up to $10,000 for violations.
California lawmakers hope the bans will prompt manufacturers to reformulate their recipes.
AB 2316 faced opposition from the American Beverage Assn., the California Chamber of Commerce and the National Confectioners Assn.
The groups said food additives should be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, not evaluated on a state-by-state basis.
But it remains to be seen how and when the FDA will act on this issue, said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, which co-sponsored the law.
“The FDA should certainly take action on these dyes as well, but that’s no reason to wait to make sure California’s children are safe,” Benesh said after the bill passed the House. Legislative Assembly.
“There are many alternatives to these chemicals,” Benesh said. “I think it’s up to the industry to find a way to reformulate and market their foods without using chemicals that could harm our children.”
In addition to banning food coloring, Newsom also signed a bill to standardize information on expiration dates on food products. AB 660 is designed to give consumers clearer and more consistent information about the freshness of their food in hopes of reducing food waste.
“Having to wonder if our food is still good is an issue we have all dealt with,” said the bill’s author, Rep. Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), in a statement. The enactment of this bill is a “monumental step to keep money in consumers’ pockets while helping the environment and the planet.”
Erica Parker, policy associate at Californians Against Waste, which co-sponsored the bill, said the legislation would eliminate the confusion consumers face when reviewing products marked with the words “sell by,” “expires the” or “the freshest before”. printed on their packaging.
The result of this confusion “is a staggering amount of food waste. Californians throw away 6 million tons of food waste every year – and confusion over date labels is a leading cause,” she said in a statement when the bill was sent to the office of Newsom.
