It took a few days, but California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the first-of-its-kind ban on six harmful dyes in school food. The new law prohibits public schools from serving food and beverages containing synthetic colorings, which California lawmakers believe are linked to neurobehavioral issues experienced by some children. Gov.
Newsom took about a month to sign AB2316, which was unanimously passed by the California Legislature in early September “Toxic dyes in food that put kids at higher risk for hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral issues that interfere with learning have no place in our schools,” said Brian Ronholm, food policy director at Consumer Reports. “We’ve known for years that synthetic food dyes endanger our health, but the FDA has failed to take action to protect the public. California’s landmark new law will help ensure that kids are not exposed to harmful dyes in food at schools that can endanger their health.
” Consumer Reports has also launched a petition calling on the nation’s biggest school lunch providers to remove these harmful chemicals from the food they provide to schools nationwide. Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) authored the California law, which bans 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. The chemicals have been found to cause neurobehavioral problems in some children.
Last year, Gabriel successfully authored, and Newsom signed into law, the California.