Legislation aims to ban harmful chemicals in California school food

A first-in-the-nation legislation was introduced today in California that would prohibit public schools from serving certain cereals, condiments, and other foods that contain additives linked to hyperactivity, behavioral issues, and health harms including cancer. Assembly Bill 2316 would prohibit schools from serving food containing six synthetic food dyes. The bill would also prohibit titanium dioxide... a coloring agent often used in sunscreens, cosmetics, and plastics. Assembly member Jesse Gabriel, who introduced the legislation, spoke about it in depth on FOX 11.

LOS ANGELES - Legislation in California was introduced Tuesday to stop public schools from serving six artificial food dyes in school cafeterias.

Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3 and titanium dioxide are all on the list of synthetic food additives that would be banned from school cafeterias if Assembly Bill 2316 passes in California.

Earlier this year, assembly member Jesse Gabriel also introduced AB 418, legislation that would ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of products containing five specific and widely used food additives across the Golden State: red dye 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and brominated vegetable oil.

The National Confectioner's Association (NCA) told Fox News Digital in a statement that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needed to stop activists and supporters of AB 2316 from getting in the way of food safety.

"It’s time for FDA Commissioner Califf to wake up and get in the game," the NCA told Fox News Digital. "These activists are dismantling our national food safety system state by state in an emotionally-driven campaign that lacks scientific backing. FDA is the only institution in America that can stop this sensationalistic agenda which is not based on facts and science."

These ingredients, all approved for consumption by the FDA, are used in several popular food items, especially candy.

Gabriel is now pushing for legislation to prevent the use of certain artifical additives in schools.

"Basically, the companies that produce these products that are sold in schools would have a choice," Gabriel told FOX 11 in an interview. "They can either make minor modifications to their recipes to remove these ingredients, all of which there are strong signs showing that they can cause cancer, ADHD and neurobehavioral issues in kids."

"So they can make the decision to do what they already did in Europe and a lot of other places which is to substitute out those harmful chemicals for safer alternatives," he said.

"Or, the school districts would then have to switch to another product, so maybe they would have to switch from one brand of apple sauce to another, or one brand of muffins to another."

Earlier this year, Gabriel introduced AB 418, legislation that would ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of products containing five specific and widely used food additives across the Golden State: red dye 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and brominated vegetable oil. (Getty Images)

Gabriel said that he was working with stakeholders — people in the food industry, nutritionists at public schools and other interested parties — in order to make the bill as effective as possible at preventing children from coming into contact with artifical food dyes and additives.

"To me, it's a common sense measure as somebody who struggled with ADHD growing up, who's a dad of three kids, who has a child with an ADHD diagnosis who's sometimes struggled," Gabriel said. "The idea that we would put all of this love and attention and care and therapy and support into our kids in the morning and then serve them some food at lunch that's just going to exacerbate those challenges and undo all that good work doesn't make any sense."

"We want to make sure that we're protecting our kids in our schools and serving them food that's not going to increase their challenges that they may have," he added.

Gabriel said the legislation was intended to make the food in schools "safe" and that they won't "harm them or interfere with their ability to learn."

A spokesperson for the FDA told Fox News Digital in a statement that the agency "does not comment on proposed or pending legislation."

Gabriel's office shared a press statement from the assembly member with Fox News Digital.

"California has a responsibility to protect our students from chemicals that harm children and that can interfere with their ability to learn," Gabriel said "As a lawmaker, a parent, and someone who struggled with ADHD, I find it unacceptable that we allow schools to serve foods with additives that are linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and neurobehavioral harms. This bill will empower schools to better protect the health and wellbeing of our kids and encourage manufacturers to stop using these dangerous additives."

Fox News' Aaron Kleigman contributed to this report.

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