California Becomes the First State to Ban 4 Food Additives Linked to Disease
October 10, 2023 | Source: NPR | by Joe Hernandez
California has become the first U.S. state to outlaw the use of four potentially harmful food and drink additives that have been linked to an array of diseases, including cancer, and are already banned in dozens of countries.
The California Food Safety Act prohibits the manufacturing, distribution and sale of food and beverages that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye 3 — which can be found in candy, fruit juices, cookies and more.
Backers of the law say it doesn’t mean popular products will suddenly disappear from store shelves, but rather that companies will have to tweak their recipes to be able to offer the same food and drink items with healthier ingredients.
“Californians will still be able to access and enjoy their favorite food products, with greater confidence in the safety of such products,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill into law on Saturday.