A bill to outlaw the use of certain food dyes in school meals has advanced through the California Legislature and is headed for the Governor’s desk.
If signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, schools across the state would no longer be allowed to sell or provide food that included six chemicals that studies have shown have the potential to be harmful.
The food dyes included in the legislation are Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2 and Green Dye No. 3.
Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group co-sponsored the bill, which was drafted by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), the same California lawmaker who spearheaded the effort to ban certain additives in some processed foods from being sold in the state.
That bill came to be known for its unwanted “Skittles ban” moniker, despite the beloved candy being spared from the legislation.
