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California is banning products containing harmful chemicals, including brominated vegetable oil found in Skittles and other candies. Hypebeast revealed that Governor Gavin Newsom has already signed The California Food Safety Act bill.
The production, sale, and distribution of four chemicals are being banned as per the bill. The four chemicals are brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red Dye 3. USA Today states that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use and consumption of the mentioned chemicals until now.
Newsom also said in a signing message that the law will remain active until the FDA confirms the safety of the chemicals. The law will be effective from 2027, and any company that would continue to make the products again will be fined $10,000.
"I appreciate the author and stakeholders for working on amendments, which advance our shared public health objectives while maintaining consumer choice," Newsom said.
Skittles has been banned as it has Red dye 3, a common ingredient in confectionaries, including PEZ, Hot Tamales, and Dubble Bubble gum.
Brominated vegetable oil leads to severe health issues
Food Network states that brominated vegetable oil helps keep natural flavoring oils properly mixed in the beverage. The oil is usually derived from corn or soybean oil.
The oil was previously banned in Japan and Europe for a long time. PepsiCo also removed the oil from its Gatorade products in 2013, and Coca-Cola did the same the following year. Katherine Zeratsky, a dietitian for the Mayo Clinic, says that brominated vegetable oil can lead to many health issues.
"It's also been linked to neurologic symptoms in people who drink large quantities of citrus soda – more than 2 liters a day," she said.
Brominated vegetable oil is still used in Pepsi's Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper's Diet Sun Drop and Crush Pineapple. Although the FDA has yet to confirm the oil's safety, they have approved its use in small amounts.
More details about the California Food Safety Act bill
Hypebeast revealed everything mentioned in the Governor's bill, where anyone involved in the production of the chemicals would be fined $5,000 on the first violation. This will increase to $10,000 on further violations.
A statement by the Governor's office said that people have a lot of misconceptions regarding the bill. He also added a bag of Skittles to the message and said:
"This particular bag of candy comes from the European Union – a place that already ban a number of chemical additives and colorants. This is demonstrable proof that the food industry is capable of maintaining product lines while complying with different public health laws, country-to-country."
Los Angeles Democrat Jesse Gabriel authorized the bill and praised the Governor for the step, saying it would protect everyone from dangerous chemicals. The National Confectioners Association criticized the bill and said:
"This law replaces a uniform national food safety system with a patchwork of inconsistent state requirements created by legislative fiat that will increase food costs."
They said the bill would lead to confusion among the public regarding food safety. They also mentioned that it was important to depend on the scientific accuracy of ingredients to determine if they are safe.
