SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom signed first-in-the-nation legislation Saturday that will prevent California public schools from serving food dyes that color Froot Loops, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and other processed snacks.
The blue, green, yellow and red additives targeted by the ban have been linked to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems, especially in people with ADHD or ADHD.
The signing marks the second time in as many years that Newsom has endorsed food regulations opposed by the food industry. He also signed legislation last year banning the sale of foods containing other additives.
“Our health is inextricably linked to the food we eat – but fresh, healthy food is not always available or affordable for families,” Newsom said in a statement. “Today we refuse to accept the status quo and make it possible for everyone, including schoolchildren, to access nutritious, delicious food without harmful and often addictive additives.”
Makers of at least one product subject to the 2023 ban — Peeps — opted to change their formula rather than pull marshmallow chicks from store shelves, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Stores will still be able to sell foods containing the dyes covered by the new law. But Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the author of both additive bills, hopes this latest change will encourage more companies to edit their recipes.
“We think it’s unlikely that people are going to produce one version of their product for California and another version for Kansas,” Gabriel, who has ADHD and has spoken about how additives have affected him, told reporters last month. “We believe that if this bill becomes law, it will have the added benefit of helping protect children in the United States.”
Industry lobbyists disputed California Environmental Protection Agency reports linking dyes to health effects, even arguing that the rules could limit fundraising opportunities for school sports teams that sell baked goods. They convinced lawmakers to drop a ban on titanium dioxide — which is banned in the European Union and contained in snack foods, including cones — from the bill before it landed on Newsom’s desk.
The legislation received broad bipartisan support in the state legislature and gained votes after being narrowed through amendments. But industry resistance persisted.
“Safe ingredients have been demonized to advance a political agenda,” John Hewitt of the Consumer Brands Association previously told POLITICO in a statement. “Passage of this bill could cost schools and families money, limit choice and access, and cause consumer confusion.”
The law will come into effect on December 31, 2027.
