California could ban Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, and Campbell’s soup over additives
Misty Severi
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California lawmakers are weighing a law that would ban the sale of candies like Pez, Skittles, and Sour Patch Kids. Foods like Campbell’s soups would also be banned over additives linked to cancer and organ damage.
The legislation, which was introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, targets five additives, three of which have been banned by the European Union. The five substances are propylparaben, red dye 3, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and titanium dioxide.
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“Californians shouldn’t have to worry that the food they buy in their neighborhood grocery store might be full of dangerous additives or toxic chemicals,” Gabriel said in a statement. “This bill will correct for a concerning lack of federal oversight and help protect our kids, public health, and the safety of our food supply.”
The bill would also block companies from manufacturing food with the additives in California regardless of whether or not the food would be sold in the state. Gabriel said the goal was to get the companies to eliminate the substances from their recipes altogether, not just in California.
The substances were chosen because of their bans in Europe, Gabriel said, with titanium dioxide being the most notable. The ingredient is used for food coloring and was the center of a lawsuit in the state last year.
Research from Germany in 2015 found that the substance could build up in the liver, kidney, or spleen. More recent research in France found in 2017 that it could increase someone’s risk of damage to the immune system, inflammation, and cancer.
“Why are these toxic chemicals in our food?” Susan Little, an employee at the Environment Working Group, asked the Daily Mail.
“We know they are harmful and that children are likely eating more of these chemicals than adults. It makes no sense that the same products food manufacturers sell in California are sold in the EU but without these toxic chemicals,” she added.
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The Environmental Protection Agency reported in 2020 that children who consumed another of the substances, red dye 3, were more likely to be hyperactive and inattentive. The other major ingredient was potassium bromate, which has been banned from Canada, Brazil, and the EU because of its links to thyroid and kidney cancers.
Other foods that would be affected by the ban include jelly beans, Trident sugar-free gum, and certain bread products across the United States. Consumers are encouraged to check the ingredients in their food before purchasing if they wish to avoid the substances.