New York could become the second state to enforce a ‘cone ban’ – after California passed the measure earlier this month.
The New York State Legislature is currently considering a bill that would ban five food additives linked to cancer, chronic diseases and mood disorders.
The ingredients – brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propyl paraben, red dye No. 3 and titanium dioxide – are currently used in Skittles, Pez candies and Sun Drop soda.
If passed, it would give manufacturers five years to change their recipes or face fines for selling in the state.
Calls are growing for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to impose nationwide restrictions after reports revealed that at least 10 ingredients banned in Europe on health grounds are still widely used in the US.
Skittles and other candies that use food additives linked to cancer could be banned by the New York Legislature as the state considers it
According to the Environmental Working Group, about 12,000 products sold in California use the harmful ingredients included in the state’s new ban.
Other lawmakers in the North East are believed to be considering similar bans, campaigners at Consumer Reports told DailyMail.com.
Red food coloring No. 3, used to color food, and potassium bromate, which helps dough rise, have both been linked to cancers, including of the thyroid and kidneys, studies have shown.
Red Dye No.3 has also been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Propylparaben, often used as a preservative in baked goods, is said to cause fertility problems, while brominated vegetable oil has been linked to nerve damage.
Titanium dioxide, which is used for coloring food and has been banned from California’s ban, has also been linked to lung cancer.
Two versions of the bill were introduced in April; one to the General Assembly – by Democratic Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles – and one to the Senate – by Democratic Senator Brian Kavanagh. Both were referred to their agricultural committees.
The bill must clear five hurdles before it can become law in New York State.
First, it must be supported by a majority of members on the agriculture committees in both houses.
It must then receive a majority of votes in both the assembly and the senate. And then signed off by Governor Kathy Hochul.
The New York State bill will go through committees when the state Legislature reconvenes next January.
The bill states: ‘While the use of food additives to improve the shelf life, taste or texture of various commercial food products is nothing new, the science behind the health effects of increased consumption of such additives sheds new light on just how dangerous some of these additives are are. they can be.
“This legislation protects New Yorkers from five of the most widespread and harmful food additives by banning the manufacture or sale of foods containing them.”
The California bill was first read in February of this year and passed within just eight months.
New York has a shorter legislative period of six months, but a spokesperson for Consumer Reports told DailyMail.com that it was possible the bill could pass within that shortened time frame.
However, they warned that it was possible the bill could be revised to remove titanium dioxide – as in California.
The California Senate removed this additive from its bill after intense lobbying from industry stakeholders.
A spokesperson for Consumer Reports told DailyMail.com: ‘Now that the California ban has been signed, it effectively represents a national ban due to the size of the California market.
“So New York and other states that may be interested in this issue will consider various options for moving forward with the issue.
“They could replicate California’s efforts to strengthen these, or they could try to address other toxic chemicals not addressed in California’s bill.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter confirming he had signed the bill. To this he attached a bag of skittles from the European Union, saying this was proof that companies could change their recipes
When the California bill passed earlier this month, supporters called it an “important stand” against “toxic” chemicals in American food.
After the signing, Governor Newsom said, “This is demonstrable evidence of the food industry’s ability to maintain product lines while adhering to varying public health laws from state to state.”
A similar ban was passed in the European Union more than a decade ago to remove the additives from food.
The US lags far behind European countries in food safety, with more than a dozen ingredients still approved in America that have been banned in Europe based on research into the harmful effects the additives can have on consumers.
Studies show that Red No.3 – a food coloring found in many sweets – was linked to cancer in laboratory animals when exposed to very high doses, and linked to behavioral problems in children.
The US banned it from cosmetic products in the 1990s, but it is still in many food products still sold in the US.
A 2016 study found that it was in more than one in 10 candies in the US and that more than 80 percent of children under the age of two had consumed it in the past two weeks.
Another soon-to-be-banned substance – brominated vegetable oil, made from plants and used for citrus flavors – is suggested to harm the body’s nervous system after long-term exposure.
It has also been linked to chronic headaches, memory loss and imbalance. It was previously in the soft drink Mountain Dew until parent company Pepsi removed the ingredient in 2020.
Propylparaben, often used as a preservative in baked goods, has been linked to fertility problems in mice by disrupting estrogen in women and reducing sperm count in men.
Potassium bromate is found in many baked goods and processed foods to help dough rise, but has been linked to the development of thyroid and kidney cancer.
Industry stakeholders hit back at California’s ban in March, saying the bill prevailed because the additives’ safety was already assessed through a number of existing measures.
They included directors of the National Confectioners Association, California Grocers Association and the American Chemistry Council.