Recently the governor of California signed some bills and vetoed many. Of the bills the governor signed, one was groundbreaking in that California would ban four potentially harmful food additives. The move is actually the first state law to ban food additives. The ban will come into effect in 2027.
According to California officials, red paint no. 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben and brominated vegetable oil are four food additives that the state will ban. The production, sale and distribution of these 4 food additives will be prohibited by the move. Additives are prohibited because they can be potentially harmful. However, the FDA believes that banning these additives could actually negatively affect the food supply and also lead to higher prices.
The bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday is officially called the California Food Safety Act. Originally, the Act was called the “Skittles Bill”, as an earlier version of the Act also included titanium dioxide in the list. Titanium dioxide is actually a legal color additive that can be found in candy like rainbow candy.
Take a look at the food additives California has banned under the newly signed law:
Brominated vegetable oil
Brominated vegetable oil is actually an oil to which bromine is added. The FDA says that this additive is actually made to be used in very small amounts to prevent the citrus flavor from actually floating on top of some drinks.
Multiple health problems are triggered by the use of this additive. Brominated vegetable oil has been linked to health problems such as some neurological problems.
READ ALSO: Gavin Newsom vetoes about 100 California bills. Check out some of these accounts!
Propylparaben
This is a type of paraben commonly used as a preservative in the cosmetics industry, according to the FDA. According to the agency, this particular food additive is only safe when used at a maximum level of 0.1% in food.
Propylparabens are made for use in multiple bakes. The Environmental Working Group says the food additive can act as an endocrine disruptor. It has the power to potentially alter gene expression and hormone signaling.
Potassium bromate
This additive is made for use in bakery products and bread. It’s actually an oxidizing agent that helps improve dough quality, according to Michigan State University’s Ingredient Safety Research Center.
Current FDA guidelines state that the amount of potassium bromate should not be “more than 0.0075 parts for every 100 parts by weight of flour used.”
This additive does not harm humans when consumed at the optimal temperature, according to the Michigan State Center. However, researchers claim that in larger doses, in rodents, the additive damaged cells and DNA, and led to cancer.
ALSO READ: List of 11 World’s Best Food Destinations 2023
Red color no. 3
This one, as the name suggests, is made to be used for food coloring purposes. This additive is a popular choice, as it is found in approximately 3,200 consumer food products, according to the Environmental Working Group.
It is not the first time that this additive will be banned for use. It was in 1990 when the FDA banned this additive for use in cosmetics. The use of red color No. 3 was also prohibited in the case of external application of drugs. However, use is not prohibited in the case of food.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says the additive may be linked to health problems such as cancer.
READ ALSO: EU allows the sale of insects as food: All about entomophagy and its benefits here
ALSO READ: Conocarpus plants banned in Gujarat, along with many other states. Here is the reason
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: newstars.edu.vn