California is taking action to combat childhood obesity, starting with school nutrition. On October 1, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill. California School Food Safety Act, a law that bans the use of six artificial colorings in foods served in public schools.
The provision is based on a public health issue: the use of colorants, which make products more attractive, is linked to physical pathologies, such asobesity and overweight, but also behavioral disorders (hyperactivity and attention deficit) in children.
The banned colorants, which are widely used by the snack and food industry snacks, and also in products such as cereals, ice cream, drinks, candy, popsicles, cheese-flavored crisps, and jams, are as follows:
- Red 40
- Yellow 5
- Yellow 6
- Blue 1
- Blue 2
- Green 3
The only flaw in the law, the first of its kind in an American state, concerns its timing: it will only come into force in 2027 to allow schools, and especially companies that manufacture products with the six effectively banned dyes, to comply with the new regulations.
Read also:
- Natural food colorings: companies are finally taking it seriously.
- Innovation: Software to Predict Dye Toxicity is Born
- Natural finger colors, with four ingredients
- How to dye fabrics naturally
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