— OPINION — By Renee Leber, Technical Services Manager, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) As more states seek to ban foods with certain dyes or additives in the name of food safety, consumers and the food industry alike are left wondering what comes next. California has a history of progressive food legislation. In 2008, it passed the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (Proposition 2) that set rules around the confinement of certain animals on California farms.
Two years later it passed a bill banning the sale of in- and out-of-state eggs that didn’t meet the requirements set forth in Prop 2. The state ultimately extended the ban to pork in 2018. Some states followed California’s footsteps and enacted similar laws.
History is repeating itself as California is now leading the way with a series of food bans that have made waves across the nation: 2023’s California Food Safety Act banned products containing four food additives — brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red #3 — which prompted 10 other states to propose similar legislation. The Act impacted several popular product categories, including confections, soft drinks, and meat substitutes. Manufacturers using the banned ingredients will have to change their formulation by Jan.
1, 2027, if they want to keep selling in California. Violators can be fined up to $10,000 for each infraction. California expanded its focus to schools this year when it passed the California Schoo.
