California is the first state in the U.S. to ban four potentially harmful food additives that have been linked to health complications such as increased cancer risk, hyperactivity and damage to the nervous system.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act, implementing Assembly Bill 418 which will “prohibit any food product manufactured, sold, delivered, distributed, held or offered for sale in California after Jan. 1, 2027, from containing brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben or red dye 3.”
You may be thinking, “Are we never going to have skittles again?” Well, Skittles aren’t actually the problem, since none of the banned additives are in their ingredient list. Newsom addressed the misconception about the popular candy being the face of the proposal. So Skittles can stay, but other products which contain any of the four additives, such as Peeps and Halloween’s beloved candy corn, will need a quick recipe fix to stay on shelves. Stouffer’s frozen meals, certain toaster pastries and many more fan favorites will need to update their recipes as well.
Luckily for those companies, the bill won’t go into effect until January 2027, which gives them a three-year window to change their recipes and create a version that doesn’t contain these harmful ingredients. It is important to remember that this is a ban on four ingredients, not a ban on companies or products.
In reality, it’s about time they implement these changes. In 2022, the EU banned certain additives, and within six months, food companies changed their ingredients to keep selling. That is a very quick turnaround compared to the three years the U.S. will need to get this done.
There is always someone who might say, “We should be able to buy whatever we want as long as it’s correctly labeled.” Wrong. Tell that to the 10-year-old kid that loves candy, who just got $5 to spend at the vending machine. Children aren’t checking food labels, especially not for carcinogens. The kids in Europe, Australia or Canada, on the other hand, are safe.
I feel like there are very few people who can look at the ingredients on a candy wrapper and tell which ones are potentially harmful, because honestly they all look harmful if you don’t know what they are. Therefore, it’s the responsibility of the FDA to ensure that dangerous substances aren’t allowed to be used in foods.
Who cares if some of the recipes change or certain foods are repackaged and designed? None of the four ingredients even have an effect on the flavors of the candy. If people get upset about this they might need to grow up.
What baffles me is the fact that in the 90s, the U.S. banned red dye No. 3 from cosmetics because it was linked to cancer. But somehow allowing Americans to eat it for the next 33 years was okay? Although it took too long to get here, at least one state decided to prioritize the health of its citizens. I hope the U.S. as a whole can come to terms with the new law and follow in California’s footsteps.
According to some Texans, Texas is the new California, but California is the new Europe. Just kidding.
On a more serious note, starting in January 2027, Californians will be able to eat whatever they want knowing these four cancer-causing ingredients won’t be found in their food.This is a step in the right direction and, as a Californian, I can proudly say: I approve.
