The California Legislature has passed a bill with bipartisan support banning the use of red dye No. 40 and five other chemicals in foods served at public schools. <\/p>\n
On Thursday, the Golden State became the first in the country to pass a bill that, if signed into law, would forbid the use of the ingredients found in some popular cereals, ice creams, drinks, candy, ice pops, cheese-flavored chips, jellies and more, according to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental health organization that cosponsored the law with Consumer Reports. <\/p>\n
Known as the California School Food Safety Act and introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel in February, Assembly Bill 2316 prohibits a school district, county superintendent of schools or charter school with grades kindergarten through 12th from offering foods or beverages containing red dye No. 40, yellow dyes Nos. 5 and 6, blue dyes Nos. 1 and 2, and green dye No. 3. <\/p>\n
Related article<\/span> Nearly two-thirds of supermarket baby foods are unhealthy, study finds<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has until September 30 to sign into the law the bill that, if legalized, would be enacted on December 31, 2027. <\/p>\n California is home to the largest public school system in the nation, with more than 6.3 million students and 10,000 schools, Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction and bill cosponsor, said in a news briefing hosted by the EWG on August 6. <\/p>\n The bill stems from concerns these dyes would harm children\u2019s ability to learn, as they have been linked to behavioral difficulties and decreased attention among children, according to a 2021 study by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. <\/p>\n The law is \u201cimportant to me as a parent, it\u2019s important to me as somebody who\u2019s struggled with ADHD as a child, and it\u2019s important to me as a parent of a child who is struggling with ADHD,\u201d Gabriel said in the briefing. \u201cWe know that the synthetic food dyes that are targeted by this bill can cause harm for all kids, but we know that there is a specially pronounced impact on a lot of our young people with ADHD and other challenges.\u201d <\/p>\n Gabriel and the EWG said that though \u201cnew science is available,\u201d the US Food and Drug Administration\u2019s current regulations of the dyes in food is based on research that\u2019s 35 to 70 years old. <\/p>\n \u201cReassessing the safety of chemicals in food as new, relevant data become available is a priority for the FDA,\u201d the agency said in a statement. \u201cThe FDA has reviewed the research on the effects of color additives on children\u2019s behavior including the literature review cited by the Bill. The totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them.\u201d <\/p>\n Related article<\/span> This diet may reduce Covid-19 risk, new research suggests<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In addition to the FDA\u2019s own evaluations, the agency also supports and participates in international risk assessments conducted under the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations\/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives. <\/p>\n \u201cAll the colors listed have recently undergone assessments for safety in food by the JEFCA and were found to be safe for use in food under current use conditions,\u201d the FDA said. <\/p>\n However, the agency will continue to assess the emerging science and ensure the safety of approved color additives, including by way of hosting a public meeting in September to review the process for post-market assessment of chemicals in food, according to the statement. <\/p>\n John Hewitt of the Consumer Brands Association, which represents more than 1,700 brands, said in a statement that \u201cit\u2019s unfortunate that scientifically proven, safe ingredients have been demonized for the purpose of advancing a political agenda. <\/p>\n \u201cNo industry is more committed to food safety than the consumer packaged goods industry. It\u2019s why we have urged the FDA to aggressively acknowledge its responsibility as the nation\u2019s food safety regulator,\u201d Hewitt, senior vice president of packaging and sustainability and state affairs at the association, said via email. \u201cThe passage of this bill could cost schools and families money, limit choice and access, and create consumer confusion.\u201d <\/p>\n But Thurmond stressed the greater importance of \u201cthe cost of our failure to act \u2026 in a nation where our children already have some of the highest rates of illness, asthma, diabetes (and) heart disease,\u201d compared with other countries. <\/p>\n Related article<\/span> Is decaf coffee safe to drink? Experts weigh in on claims by health advocacy groups<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gabriel echoed these sentiments, adding that the bill may ultimately save California money by reducing the use of resources necessary for helping children struggling in the classroom. <\/p>\n \u201cI see this both through personal experience and also the work that I do as a lawmaker,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s really expensive.\u201d <\/p>\n If Newsom signs the bill, the decision would render the United States food environment more in alignment with that of the European Union, where products including these dyes are required to have a warning label saying those products could harm young people, Gabriel added. <\/p>\n \u201cThe point of this bill is to encourage manufacturers to make minor modifications to their recipes, so that they can serve the same foods that we all love, that our kids love, but without these dangerous chemicals that harm people,\u201d he added. \u201cWe have incredible confidence that they\u2019re able to do that \u2026 because they make the same products in so many countries around the world, just without the harmful chemicals.\u201d <\/p>\n The EWG has noted in the past that few foods available in California schools use the ingredients the bill would ban if signed. <\/p>\n However, Gabriel and other assemblymembers believe that given the size of California\u2019s economy, the law is a \u201cmajor victory for the food safety movement not only here in the state of California, but also nationally,\u201d he said, also noting that more than 70 organizations support the bill. <\/p>\n After the state banned brominated vegetable oil, used mostly in some sodas, as part of its California Food Safety Act in October 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration revoked the regulation for its use nine months later. <\/p>\n Related article<\/span> Old pantry staple is new again with people using it to improve fitness, disease and more. But it has risks<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And at least 10 other states have begun following California\u2019s lead, introducing legislation based on the act, Gabriel said. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about the potential impacts of these dyes on your child\u2019s health, you can help them avoid them by checking the ingredient lists of any products you buy, experts said \u2014 particularly packaged foods, which are typically ultra-processed and thus are more likely to include artificial dyes, according to the EWG. <\/p>\n You can also try alternatives without those ingredients \u2014 foods that are USDA-certified organic, for example, can\u2019t contain artificial food dye. Cut back on sodas, juices or sports drinks that might contain them, as well. Offering kids substitutes may be more effective than flat-out denial of something they\u2019re craving. <\/p>\n \u201cEmphasize brightly colored produce,\u201d the EWG suggests. \u201cThe best competition for splashy packages of ultra-processed foods is the rainbow of colors in fresh fruit and vegetables.\u201d <\/p>\n Actress Lesley-Ann Brandt has ongoing conversations with her 7-year-old son about which foods are more or less healthy to eat and why, she said in the briefing. <\/p>\n \u201cWe talk to him as if he\u2019s an adult, and he knows we don\u2019t eat this because of this, but here\u2019s an alternative,\u201d Brandt said. \u201cWe make some of our foods too, and it\u2019s a way to discuss nutrition.\u201d <\/p>\n Brandt has witnessed the benefits of nutrition in her family of origin, too, she added. After growing up in two \u201cvery different\u201d food systems of South Africa and New Zealand, \u201cI really noticed the difference coming to the States 14 years ago,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Related article<\/span> Why a \u2018liquid gold\u2019 substance for cows is making waves with humans<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI\u2019m also the oldest sister of a brother who had severe ADHD as a child, so I got to see firsthand the impact of nutrition and how it helped him,\u201d Brandt said. \u201cOne of the first things my mother did to try and avoid heavily medicating him was to look at his nutrition and the processed sugars, ingredients, food dyes and synthetic chemicals that just (were) not going to serve him in school. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd it was really the difference between a B student and a C student for him,\u201d she said. \u201cThat impacted his confidence as well.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n The California Legislature has passed a bill with bipartisan support banning the use of red dye No. 40 and five other chemicals in foods served at public schools. On Thursday, the Golden State became the first in the country to pass a bill that, if signed into law, would forbid the use of the ingredients …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_primary_category":0,"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"loftocean-view-count":609,"tinysalt_single_post_intro_label":"","tinysalt_single_post_intro_description":"","tinysalt_hide_post_featured_image":"","tinysalt_post_featured_media_position":"","tinysalt_single_site_header_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header_style":"sticky-scroll-up","tinysalt_single_site_footer_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_footer":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Impacts of AB 2316<\/h3>\n
Avoiding these chemicals in food<\/h3>\n