In a groundbreaking move, the California Legislature has passed Assembly Bill 418, marking the first-ever state-level legislation in the United States to prohibit the use of four food additives associated with potential health risks. If signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, this legislation will herald a significant step towards safeguarding public health.
Assembly Bill 418 targets the elimination of red dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben from foods and beverages sold in California, effective from the year 2027. This landmark decision, once enacted, will distinguish California as the first state to outlaw these additives, which remain permissible under the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations.
Notably, these four chemicals are already banned in the European Union and several other regions across the globe. Nevertheless, they continue to be prevalent in various American products, including certain brands of orange soda, icing, hamburger rolls, candies, and processed foods.
Assembly member Jesse Gabriel, who co-sponsored the bill alongside fellow Democrat Assembly member Buffy Wicks, lauded this legislative milestone as a significant victory for public health. Gabriel emphasized that these additives are not only present in products aimed at children but are also frequently found in packaged goods marketed to low-income communities and communities of color.
“This legislation will greatly enhance the safety of our food supply,” Gabriel asserted during a recent telephone interview. “It will instill greater confidence in parents when they shop for groceries, knowing they won’t inadvertently expose their children to potentially hazardous substances.”
The additives in question serve various purposes, ranging from enhancing the visual appeal of food products to prolonging their shelf life.
One of the targeted additives, red dye No. 3, an artificial color derived from petroleum, has been banned by the FDA in cosmetics due to findings indicating its carcinogenic potential in high doses. Despite this, it continues to be employed to impart a vivid red color to both food and medicinal products. Several studies have suggested a link between artificial food dyes and behavioral issues in children, including hyperactivity, though the FDA maintains that there is no conclusive evidence establishing a causal relationship among children in the general population without behavioral disorders.
Potassium bromate, another additive under scrutiny, is a flour enhancer known for improving the texture of baked goods and promoting bread’s rise. However, research has associated it with carcinogenic effects in laboratory animals.
Brominated vegetable oil, employed as an emulsifier in citrus drinks to prevent flavor separation, has raised concerns in relation to various health issues, including behavioral and reproductive problems in animal studies.
Lastly, propylparaben, a preservative utilized in cosmetics and food, is believed to mimic estrogen and may function as an endocrine disruptor.
If Governor Newsom signs Assembly Bill 418 into law, California will pioneer a significant shift in regulating food additives, setting a precedent for enhanced public health safeguards in the state and potentially inspiring similar measures in other regions of the United States.
