California lawmakers advanced a bill that would outlaw their sale. This is due to evidence that some ingredients in Skittles and other common snacks are harmful. The proposed law would compel manufacturers to alter the formulations for several popular treats, which include M&Ms and Nerds candies. If they don’t comply, the authorities will take harsh action and remove their products from the California market.
Representative Jesse Gabriel of Woodland Hills has introduced Assembly Bill 418. This would outlaw processed foods containing certain harmful chemicals. It’s unclear if the legislation would gain traction. However, if it does, the state of California would be the first to outlaw particular food additives.
Why are they trying to ban Skittles in California?
Popular candies like Skittles and Nerds and other processed foods contain chemicals related to health risks. These include an increased risk of cancer and behavioral issues in children. Therefore, these might get outlawed under a new bill filed in the California assembly.
Chemicals are frequently added to processed foods to extend shelf life, improve flavor, and improve appearance. Five substances are typically used as preservatives, texture, and color enhancers, among other chemicals. They are potassium bromate, red dye No. 3, titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil, and Propylparaben.
- These would be subject to the prohibition. Initially, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave these substances the go-ahead in the United States. However, they have all been outlawed in Europe due to safety concerns.
- Researchers have found that these chemicals risk people’s health, such as harm to the reproductive system and damage to the immune system. All these five chemicals have already been outlawed in the European Union.
The Food and Drug Administration has neither independently evaluated nor recently reviewed the chemicals that AB 418 would outlaw. The nation’s food supply has been made available to them. This is because of the chemicals’ designation as “generally recognized as safe” substances.
- Due to their high risk of health issues recently, the California government has petitioned to ban these specific candies containing these particular compounds.
“Californians shouldn’t have to worry that the food they buy in their neighborhood grocery store might be full of dangerous additives or toxic chemicals,” Jesse Gabriel said in favor of the bill. He continued, “This bill will correct for a concerning lack of federal oversight and help protect our kids, public health, and the safety of our food supply.”
What are the potential risks of these chemicals?
- Many studies on these substances revealed possible health hazards in animals, which researchers think may also apply to humans. Red dye No. 3 was prohibited from being used in cosmetics by the FDA in 1990, yet hundreds of food products are still allowed to include it.
- Because of concerns that it may cause cancer, potassium bromate has been outlawed in the United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Canada, and much of Europe.
- Despite the fact that every chemical in the bill has FDA approval, some of them, such as propylparaben and titanium dioxide, are only permitted to make up 1% or less of the ingredients in food products.
“A number of things on that list have been shown to potentially have harmful consequences,” Professor of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis, Carolyn Slupsky, tells TIME. He added, “Although we weren’t aware of many of the concerns when the chemicals first hit the market, more knowledge is now available.”
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