California school kids may be saying goodbye to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Doritos and Mountain Dew.
The state Legislature introduced a bill this week that would ban highly processed snacks and other similar items in public schools. The reason for this is the negative impact it has on health.
“The science is complex, but the purpose of the bill is not,” the bill’s author, state Rep. Jesse Gabriel, said at a news conference Tuesday.
“This is to protect students from chemicals that are proven to harm children and interfere with their ability to learn.”
Gabriel described it as “the first law in the country.” Assembly Bill 2316 California public schools would be prohibited from serving food containing the synthetic food colors Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3.
These additives are found in countless popular snacks, including M&Ms, Twinkies, Gatorade, and, of course, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
“This is not a food ban,” Gabriel said. “This does not ban Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in California.”
Democrats say the bill would also ban titanium dioxide, a colorant commonly used in sunscreens, cosmetics, paints and plastics. The compound is already banned for use in food in the European Union, and products containing it must carry a warning about potential side effects for children.
Gabriel Point out the 2021 survey The California Environmental Protection Agency found that “consumption of synthetic food dyes may cause hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children.”
The father of three said the issue was “personal” to him as he suffers from ADHD and is raising children with the same disorder.
His office also argued that addiction is linked to cancer and harm to the immune system.
The proposed bill would still allow schools to sell food containing synthetic dyes, but only 30 minutes after the end of classes or off-campus events.
The National Confectionery Association, which defends chocolate and candy companies such as Mars, Haribo and Hershey, denounced the bill as part of a “sensationalist agenda not based in fact or science.”
“These activists are dismantling the national food safety system state by state in an emotion-driven campaign with no scientific basis,” the NCA said in a statement.
The bill is expected to be considered by the Assembly Education Committee in the coming weeks.
