Food additives are dangerous; while most other countries use natural preservatives and additives, the U.S. has chosen to be different. The difference is costing Americans their health. 

Luckily, Assembly Bill 418, the California Food Safety Act, is a state law that attempts to combat the health problems associated with brominated vegetable oil, red dye No. 3, potassium bromate and propylparaben by banning them. 

These newly banned items are used in food to keep ingredients together and change the color of food. Food additives are widely used within American food, and many other additives exist outside of these four.

While Bill 418 is not a federal law, it is a smart first step toward a healthier America. Other states, and the federal government, should pass similar legislation.

Devin Ebeling-Hammond, a graduate student studying nutrition and dietetics, explained these additives usually affect the thyroid, which controls hormones, growth and metabolism. 

“They (researchers) were seeing thyroid tumors in rat subjects,” Ebeling-Hammond said.

Organizations are trying to make a federal change by knowing the effects that additives have on humans, Ebeling-Hammond explained. 

“Since 2022, the Center for Science for the Public Interest and 23 other organizations actually have been trying to get the FDA to remove red dye three in the food additives list,” Ebeling-Hammond said. “It also was used to be in cosmetics but back in the ‘90s. They took it out of cosmetics because of the FDA was afraid of the effects, but they still kept it in food, which I thought was very interesting.” 

Red No. 3 was used both in cosmetics and food; this dual usage should be alarming to consumers across the U.S. By taking red No. 3 and the other three additives out of California food, the legislature is showing a genuine concern for its constituents that other states are not. 

Ebeling-Hammond noted that countries, including China, most of the European Union and Brazil, are using natural additives, including turmeric and beetroot. Turmeric and beetroot can be used to change the color of food to orange and a deep red. In addition, they can help stabilize food by keeping the ingredients bonded together.

If other countries can successfully make smart nutritional decisions, America should too. 

California Bill 418 is a smart step, forcing companies to take American health seriously. Americans should be supportive. This bill has been named the “Skittle Ban” by social media because Skittles have red No. 3 in them. Despite this negative connotation, this bill will help Americans, not hurt them.