California lawmakers are proposing a ban on five common food additives, including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, titanium dioxide, Red 3 dye, and propylparaben, linked to cancer, DNA, and organ damage, that are found in various food products such as candy, baked goods, and soup. If the bill becomes law, the affected foods must either change their formula or be prohibited from sale in California. The bill filed by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel and co-sponsored by Asm Buffy Wicks will protect public health, the safety of the food supply, and most importantly, children from harmful chemicals.
Three of the five additives that would be included in the ban are already prohibited in the European Union, and one of the dyes, Red 3, is banned from use in cosmetic products in America. While the state assembly is only concerned with matters in California, Asm Gabriel believes that the new regulations would have a national impact since many companies would not have different recipes for different markets. The additive titanium dioxide, in particular, is at the center of a lawsuit filed in California alleging that Skittles candy is not fit for consumption due to its potential dangers.
Foods that could be affected include jelly beans, PEZ candy, Trident sugar-free gum, Campbell’s soup, and smaller bread brands from around America. The Center for Science in the Public Interest led a petition to the FDA to ban the use of Red 3 dye last year, and many experts fear that propylparaben, which is commonly used as a preservative in baking products, could cause harm to the endocrine systems of humans. Potassium bromate is often used in processed foods to make dough rise higher, but it is banned in many countries for its links to thyroid and kidney cancer.
