Western Virginia prohibits 7 artificial food dyes, citing health problems

In the most wide move, Western Virginia banned food containing most of the artificial food dyes and two preservatives, citing their potential health threats.

Legislation, signed on Monday by Governor Patrick Morrisey, will enter into force in 2028. At least 20 states are considering similar restrictions on food chemicals, but Western Virginia is the first, which prohibits virtually all artificial dyes from food sold in the whole condition. The novel law also prohibits products containing dyes served in school meals since August this year.

“Everyone realizes that we have to do something with food at all,” said Adam Burkhammer, a republican representative of the state who He introduced the invoice in February He quickly passed both legislative houses with wide bilateral support. Mr. Burkhammer said he hopes that the law will improve children’s health in his state and encourage other countries to take similar actions.

California has undergone similar funds, although they were narrower. One, handed over in 2023, forbade four food additives throughout the state. In 2024, the legislators banned artificial dyes with food from school meals.

Jennifer Pomeranz, an associate professor of policy and public health management at Recent York University, said that California funds probably prompted state legislators to realize that they could move faster than the food and medicine administration to act on food additives that concerned health problems.

She added that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was confirmed as a health secretary last month and often spoke about his fears about food dyes, also paid more attention to this problem. At the beginning of this month, at a meeting with managers of huge food companies, including Pepsico and General Mills, Kennedy said that the “urgent priority” to eliminate artificial dyes from food and drinks sold throughout the country. At the next meeting he He encouraged people to call Governor Morrissey in support of Western law of Virginia.

State law prohibits seven food dyes: blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Zielony No. 3, yellow No. 5, yellow No. 6, Czerwony No. 40 and Czerwony No. 3. (Czerwony No. 3 was banned from food, drinks and drugs in California in 2023 and by food and second administration in January this year). The dyes are used to add lively colors to lively colors to different products, many designed to children, including food and medicine. candies.

AND 2021 Review of scientific research conducted by scientists from California He came to the conclusion that eating dyes can enhance hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in some children. . FDA kept Food dyes (except red No. 3) are safe and sound when used in accordance with the regulations.

Western Virginia also prohibits the apply of two preservatives. The first is propylparaben, which was also banned in almost 2023 California; It seems to be used in several foods, but was previously used in Products, including Tortilles, tokens, processed cheese and packed pastries. Some testsconducted mainly using animals, suggests that propylparaben may District hormones in the body.

The second is the butylated hydroxyanisol or bha, which prevents fat and is used in Processed meat, frozen meals, snacks and other products. AND National toxicological program A review of BHA research was found that “it is reasonably expected to be human carcinogen.” However, the authors noticed that a significant part of research on exhibitions on the bha and cancer diet focused on animals and that there is not enough evidence from people to assess the relationship between cancer and bha.

The FDA designated both BHA and Propylparaben as “generally recognized as safe and sound” when used in compact amounts in food.

But this designation is not calming, said Scott Faber, a senior official at the Environmental Working Group, a group of spokesman that has long been striving for more severe regulation of food chemicals. He said that the policy “generally considered safe and sound” allows companies to introduce ingredients without appropriate security tests.

It is not clear how the ban will come into force. Burkhammer said that he expected food producers a reforming products with the support of natural dyes and alternative preservatives so that they can be sold in western Virginia and other states that can adopt similar regulations.

The food industry groups have opposed the law of Western Virginia, as in the case of similar funds in California and other states.

“Unfortunately, this account will not only ignore the strict process based on the science and risk of FDA in the assessment of safe and sound ingredients, but also limit consumers’ access to inexpensive, nutritious and convenient choices for food and drinks,” wrote Sarah Gallo, a senior vice president of product policy at the Brands Consumer Association, which represents packed foods and drinks.

Mr. Faber, who previously worked as a lobbyist of the same association, questioned this argument. “I’m sure I said the same in the industry and I could even believe it was true,” he said. But, he said, food companies are already making the same products without these ingredients for sale in other countries.

“When the states begin to prohibit hazardous ingredients, the food industry will not create food products for specific states,” said Dr. Pomeranz. “They will reformulate for the whole country, the way they did in Europe.”