Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed a bill on Saturday that outlaws four common food additives, including the contentious red dye no. 3, which is already prohibited in the European Union.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the dye is included in non-red foods such as mashed potatoes and rice as well as children’s products like Skittles, PediaSure, and others.
The new California Food Safety Act now forbids it. The production, marketing, and distribution of food products containing the color as well as the three additional widely used additions potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben are all forbidden by law.
Gov. Newsom wrote in a letter concerning the measure, “There have been numerous misconceptions about this bill and its implications. However, Skittles are able to be marketed in the European Union with components that correspond to their ban. For instance, this proposal’s symbol is a bag of the well-known candy “Skittles,” which is tied to the statement. The European Union, where this particular bag of candy is from, already forbids the use of a variety of chemical ingredients and colorants. This exemplifies evidence that the food sector is able to maintain product lines while abiding by various national public health laws.
According to Consumer Reports, which cosponsored the measure with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, red dye no. 3 was related to thyroid cancer and was banned from usage in cosmetics in the United States in 1990.
“The FDA says it’s not safe enough to put on our cheeks, but it’s fine to put in our mouths,” you ask. According to Lisa Lefferts, a scientist and consultant for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The National Institute of Health describes potassium bromate, which is likewise prohibited, as “an excellent dough improver and a maturing agent.” It is, nonetheless, a “possible carcinogen.” According to CBS News, it is also prohibited in the European Union, India, and China.
The measure also outlaws brominated vegetable oil, which is used in some beverages to prevent the separation of citrus flavors and is outlawed in the European Union.
Propylparabens are used to preserve food by fighting microorganisms, however, the Environmental Working Group claims that they can cause endocrine system disruption since they imitate estrogen.
In contrast to the National Confectioners Association, who criticized the bill as a “slippery slope” that could “create confusion around food safety” and “increase food costs,” Newsom noted in his letter that “this bill’s implementation has been postponed until 2027 — significant time for brands to make changes to their recipes in order to avoid these harmful chemicals.”