California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law banning four “toxic” chemical food additives. The law prohibits the sale of foods and drinks in California that contain:
- Red dye No. 3
- Potassium bromate
- Brominated vegetable oil
- Propylparaben
The law takes effect in 2027. The chemicals are found in popular drinks, baked goods, candy, and snacks. Red dye No. 3 is used to color some candies, including pink and purple Peeps.
The chemical has been linked to cancer and has been banned from makeup for more than 30 years. The California legislature passed Assembly Bill 418, which prohibits the sale of foods and drinks in California that contain the four chemicals.
Newsom said in a signing statement that the additives addressed in the bill are already banned in various other countries. All four chemicals are already banned in foods in the European Union.
“Signing this into law is a positive step forward on these four food additives until the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews and establishes national updated safety levels for these additives,” Newsom’s statement said.
Just Born Inc., the company that makes Peeps, has said it has been looking for other dye options for its products. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Los Angeles.
“The Governor’s signature today represents a huge step forward in our effort to protect children and families in California from dangerous and toxic chemicals in our food supply,” Gabriel said in a statement Saturday.
The law doesn’t take effect until 2027, which Newsom said should give companies plenty of time to adapt to the new rules.
Newsom took other legislative actions over the weekend, including a veto on a bill that would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of several hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms.
In a statement, the governor said that more research needs to be done before the state decriminalizes so-called “magic mushrooms.”
