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California to ban ingredients found in common foods: hamburger buns (potassium bromate), orange soda (brominated vegetable oil), candy and and corn tortillas (propyl paraben).
California to ban ingredients found in common foods: hamburger buns (potassium bromate), orange soda (brominated vegetable oil), candy and and corn tortillas (propyl paraben).
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel remarked:
"Today's bipartisan vote marks a huge step forward in our effort to protect children and families in California from dangerous and toxic chemicals in our food supply. It's unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety. This bill will not ban any foods or products - it simply will require food companies to make minor modifications to their recipes and switch to the safer alternative ingredients that they already use in Europe and so many other places around the globe.Former Governor and sports and fitness icon Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently endorsed AB 418 in his daily Pump Club Newsletter, said:
"There's a readily available substitute for each of these ingredients. For example, sorbic acid is often used instead of propyl paraben, ester gum instead of brominated vegetable oil, and calcium carbonate instead of titanium dioxide.
"It's possible for companies to make a healthy profit without poisoning kids. In many cases they now have increased confidence from consumers who want to buy foods that are healthy."
"Things like this aren't partisan. They're common sense. I'm a small government guy. But I've also seen that sometimes, in a world where every big industry has an army of lobbyists, and our kids have no one fighting for them, government has to step in."AB 418 was amended in the State Senate to remove titanium dioxide from the list of banned additives and to delay implementation of the bill until 2027, thereby giving food companies more than enough time to negotiate new contracts and phase in new recipes.
Notably, many major brands and manufacturers - including Coke, Pepsi, Gatorade, and Panera - have voluntarily stopped using the additives that would be banned under AB 418 because of concerns about their impact on human health. One of these chemicals - Red Dye No. 3 - is already banned by the FDA for use in cosmetics but is somehow still allowed in food.
Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said:
"Toxic chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer and other chronic health problems should not be allowed in our food. Unfortunately, the FDA hasn't taken action to protect the public despite the well-documented risks these harmful food chemicals pose to our health. We applaud California lawmakers for voting to ban these hazardous chemicals in food and urge Governor Newsom to sign this landmark legislation into law."If signed into law, AB 418 would not ban any products; it would instead require companies to make modifications to products sold in California and likely prompt a nationwide transition to safer alternatives.
Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group.
"AB 418 is the most important food safety bill in more than a decade and its passage would be a historic victory for protecting kids and families from dangerous food chemicals. For decades, chemical companies have been able to exploit a loophole that allows food additives to escape adequate review and oversight by the FDA. Since the FDA has failed to keep us safe, it has become the responsibility of states like California to step up and lead."AB 418 now heads to Governor Newsom's desk, where it must be signed into law or vetoed by October 14th.
Comment: What foods are these dangerous ingredients in, and why?