Cheetos & popular snacks to be banned as officials take aim at ‘dangerous’ ingredients despite serious doubts about law

STUDENTS in California may soon be searching elsewhere to grab their favorite snacks.

On Thursday, lawmakers sent Governor Gavin Newsom a bill to ban schools from distributing or selling products containing six common food dyes .

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The food dyes included in the bill include Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3.

The purpose of food additives is to help products maintain their color, taste, or texture.

If the bill is passed the ban would go into effect beginning in 2028.

The bill only applies to California public schools and charter schools.

This means that if the bill is passed, products with the six common food dyes will still be allowed to be sold across the rest of the state.

If the bill is approved and made into law it will put an end to the availability of snacks like Cheetos in California schools.

Cheetos, including the popular and spicy Flamin’ Hot version, contains Red 40, a synthetic dye made from petroleum, Yellow 5, a lemon-yellow dye, and Yellow 6, an orange-yellow dye.

But Cheetos aren’t the only tasty snacks that contain food dyes.

Popular snack Doritos also include colorings Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, meaning the snack would be banned in California schools if the bill is passed.

Everyday cereals, including Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles, also contain yellow and red dyes, as well as Blue 1.

The author of the bill, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, shared his concern about the food dyes.

Gabriel shared on X that he believed the dangerous synthetic ingredients harm children and affect the way they learn.

Assemblymember Gabriel used a state study to argue that food dyes were dangerous.

The case study examined the link between synthetic food dyes and hyperactivity and neurological behavioral problems in children.

More on Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel's bill

IF Assemblymember Jesse Grabriel's bill is passed, products containing Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 will be banned in California schools.

It will also ban the coloring agent titanium dioxide which is used frequently in sunscreens, cosmetics, paints, and plastics.

The bill was sent to California Governor Gavin Newsom and if approved will go into effect beginning in 2028.

There have been many studies into the effects of food dyes in the past decade.

A study in 2012 done by the National Institutes of Health discovered that Red 3 causes cancer in animals.

The study also revealed that Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are contaminated with carcinogens like benzidine, which can increase the risk of developing cancer.

NIH revealed the dyes have no benefits to foods and should be removed but said more toxicity testing is still required.

MORE RESEARCH DONE ON FOOD DYES

A study done by McMaster University, published in Nature Communications in December 2022, showed that consuming Red 40 food dye on a daily basis leads to an increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Lead researcher Professor Waliul Khan called the findings “a significant advancement in public health.”

“This study demonstrates significant harmful effects of Allura Red on gut health and identifies gut serotonin as a critical factor mediating these effects,” Khan wrote at the time.

“These findings have important implications in the prevention and management of gut inflammation.

“What we have found is striking and alarming, as this common synthetic food dye is a possible dietary trigger for IBDs.

“This research is a significant advance in alerting the public on the potential harms of food dyes that we consume daily.

“The literature suggests that the consumption of Allura Red also affects certain allergies, immune disorders, and behavioral problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”

However, at this time, the research surrounding the positive and negative effects of Red 40 is inconclusive, meaning it can not be proven that it’s harmful to human health .

Food dyes like Red 40 might be approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, but other countries have banned it .

Those countries include Norway , Finland , France , Austria , and the United Kingdom , according to AARP .