Why food dyes are officially banned in California public schools

phosphorusCalifornia public school students will no longer receive food containing red dye No. 40 or five other chemicals thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It was the first U.S. state to pass a law banning ingredients commonly found in cereals, ice cream, candy, snacks and other processed foods.

The law, known as the California School Food Safety Act, prohibits California public schools from serving food or beverages containing red dye No. 40, yellow dyes 5 and 6, blue dyes 1 and 2, and green dye. , the new law will take effect on December 31, 2027.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, targets synthetic food dyes that could harm children. Food chemicals are linked to behavioral challenges and inattention in children, according to a 2021 study by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Here, a registered dietitian explains how harmful these chemicals really are.

How worried should we really be about food dyes?

Tami Best, an integrative registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching, says it’s important to stay aware of food dyes and their impact on human health, given the research pushing for a ban on food dyes in California school systems.

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“They’re used in a lot of products in many different pipelines. They’re even used in food products that are marketed as health foods,” Best said.

“The reality is that when we talk about healthy eating, especially healthy eating that supports the growth and development of children, our goal is to promote a whole-food diet. A whole-food diet is a diet that is minimally processed and eats foods that come from the earth. . Foods eaten in their natural, unprocessed form without artificial dyes.

Best also warned that manufacturers often use food coloring to make foods more appealing to children.

“In a way, they’re manipulative. They use their bright colors to entice kids to eat this food, which typically falls into the category of ultra-processed foods,” she said.

According to a June 2024 study nutrition reviewResearchers have found a link between ultra-processed foods and children with obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes.

How much artificial food coloring is safe to eat?

Best said there are currently no guidelines on how much artificial food coloring is considered safe.

“My advice is to limit your intake of foods containing these substances. [chemical] dye. Safe dyes are those made from plant foods such as carrots, currants, beets and berries,” she said.

To get a clearer idea of ​​what you’re eating, you can look at a food’s ingredient label. Keep in mind, Best says, that the more processed a food is, the more likely it is to contain ingredients like chemical dyes.

While artificial food colorings don’t have any nutritional value, that doesn’t mean they have to be avoided entirely. Best said she views ultra-processed foods as “healing foods” that can still be incorporated into a diet of mostly whole foods.

“We still have a long way to go before we can help all children make similarly balanced choices,” she said. “Artificially dyed and highly processed food needs to become increasingly difficult to access and obtain, while whole foods made from real foods are all the rage.”