California could BAN Lucky Charms, Cheetos and Sunchips from being served in schools due to links to ADHD- under new bill that would outlaw 7 junk food additives

State officials in California have introduced a bill to ban even more popular food additives from public schools that have been linked to cancer and behavioral problems.

Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel introduced a bill on Tuesday calling for a ban on seven ingredients found in cereals and chips, such as Lucky Charms, Cap’N Crunch and Cheetos.

The substances on the chopping block are red dye No. 40, yellow dye No. 5, yellow dye No. 6, blue dye No. 1, blue dye No. 2, green dye No. 3, and titanium dioxide.

If passed, the legislation would require foods containing these ingredients to be removed from foods served in California public schools beginning in 2025.

Mr. Gabriel also authored the California Food Safety Act, also known as the Skittles Ban, which bans the use of potassium bromate, propyl paraben, brominated vegetable oil and red dye No. 3.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed that bill into law last year, which requires all of these ingredients to be removed by 2027.

The ingredients targeted by the legislation, called Assembly Bill 2316, have been linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children such as ADHD.

“California has a responsibility to protect our students from chemicals that are harmful to children and can hinder their ability to learn,” Mr. Gabriel said.

“As a legislator, a parent, and someone who has struggled with ADHD, I find it unacceptable that we allow schools to serve foods with additives linked to cancer, hyperactivity, and neurobehavioral damage.”

“This bill will allow schools to better protect the health and well-being of our children and encourage manufacturers to stop using these dangerous additives.”

The proposed bill is also co-sponsored by the watchdogs Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Consumer Reports.

Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said: ‘These dangerous dyes should not be allowed in food sold in schools because they put children at risk for hyperactivity and other neurological behavioral problems.’

“Removing these harmful dyes from school foods will protect the health and well-being of California children.”

“Consumer Reports applauds Assemblyman Gabriel for introducing this critical food safety legislation.”

The ingredients that could be banned are common in ultra-processed foods and have been linked to a host of medical problems.

Both Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 contain benzidene, a carcinogen for humans and animals that is permitted in low, presumably safe amounts in dyes.

According to the FDA, ingesting free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the “concern” threshold, or one cancer in 1 million people.

Shoppers can find Red 40 in cake frosting in the baking aisle, while Twinkies lovers get a dose of Yellow 5. Yellow 6, meanwhile, can be found in sugary breakfast cereals, including Lucky Charms and Cap’N Crunch.

The colors are not outright banned in the EU, nor in the US. But unlike in the US, European authorities must affix a warning label describing the risks of the dyes.

It is theorized that they may worsen attention problems in children, leading to EU regulators requiring product manufacturers to say that dyes “may have a negative effect on activity and attention in children.”

Titanium dioxide, also called E171, is banned from being added to food throughout Europe, but it is still widely used in the US as a bleaching agent for sweets and baked goods.

Crowd favorites Skittles, Starbursts and other candies all contain the chemical compound, according to the EWG.

The FDA maintains that concentrations of the substance in U.S. foods are safe, although the American Chemistry Council (ACC), a trade association representing U.S. chemical companies, said a more thorough investigation needs to be conducted.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as a Group 2B carcinogen that could potentially pose a threat to humans if inhaled.

The designation was based on limited evidence showing that high concentrations of powdered and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory cancer in rats exposed by inhalation.

Mr Gabriel pointed to the 2021 Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, which found a link between synthetic dyes and ADHD in some children, even those who had not previously been diagnosed with the condition.

Watchdog groups argued that “children have lower tolerance levels for chemical exposure than adults, and their developing bodies make them especially vulnerable.”

Susan Little, senior advocate for California government affairs at EWG, said, “Why are foods with these toxic dyes served in schools?”

‘We know they are harmful, especially for some children. We must protect this vulnerable group, especially from exposure at school, a place where they eat and are expected to learn.”

The National Confectioners Association, which represents candy companies, said in a statement to DailyMail.com: “It’s time for FDA Commissioner Califf to wake up and get involved.”

“These activists are dismantling our national food safety system state by state in an emotionally driven campaign without scientific support.”

“FDA is the only agency in America that can stop this sensational agenda, which is not based on facts and science.”