EXCLUSIVE: Pennsylvania eyes its own ‘Skittles ban’ after California Gov Gavin Newsom signed bill to outlaw cancer-causing ingredients in food
Another US state is considering a ban on cancer-causing food additives as pressure mounts on food companies to clean up their recipes.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Natalie Mihalek plans to introduce a bill early next year to ban four food additives in products sold in the state.
Lawmakers want to ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propyl paraben and red dye No. 3, which have been linked to cancer, chronic disease and heart problems.
Representative Mihalek told DailyMail.com that the proposal could be expanded to include other food additives after meetings with stakeholders, although she did not specify which ones.
Pennsylvania’s bill follows a similar bill California, that forbidden the four food additives that were subject to the ‘Skittles ban’ earlier this year, and New York taking into account similar legislation.
However, manufacturers using these ingredients in popular foods are hitting back, saying they are ‘undermining’ consumer confidence and ‘creating confusion’ around food safety.
Pennsylvania State Representative Natalie Mihalek is considering a ban on four food additives in Pennsylvania. She said it can be expanded with other additives
The Pennsylvania ban would affect the additives in most of the foods pictured above. Skittles was previously hit by the ban in California, but at the last minute, lawmakers removed the titanium dioxide used for coloring β which is included in the recipe for Skittles
While the European Union banned these additives decades ago after they were linked to a variety of health problems, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food products, has been accused of “dropping the ball” on the issue.
Now, however, the agency has proposed a ban on brominated vegetable oil, but has yet to address the other three additives banned in California’s bill.
Researchers at Consumer Reports β a nonprofit that makes leading calls to make American food safer β say not enough has been done and are urging the FDA to follow the states’ lead when it comes to food safety.
Rep. Mihalek said she was inspired to file the ban because of concerns about her three children
Republican Rep. Mihalek told DailyMail.com that she had already distributed a memo β a written communication used to convey legislative proposals β to colleagues in Pennsylvania.
A hearing is scheduled for early next year, she said, after which she will consider introducing a bill calling for banning at least four food additives in the state.
However, there is a long process before the bill becomes law.
It must first pass through a committee and then pass votes by both the state House and Senate and then be signed by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro before it can become law.
In California, it took nine months for the Skittles ban bill to reach the governor’s desk for signature and become law.
During this period, titanium dioxide β added to food for its color β was removed from the list of food additives it would ban.
The substance, used in Skittles and behind the name of the ban, was removed after lobbying by food companies who insisted the additive was essential for candied cherries.
Rep. Mihalek said she was inspired to call for a change in the law by her three children, ages 12, 10 and seven, because she was concerned about what they were putting into their bodies.
She told DailyMail.com: ‘This is a very organic piece of legislation.
βI have three kids and I’m a working mom, so we try to be aware of what our kids are putting into their bodies.
‘But there is a whole range of research available on these bad additives that we put into our bodies.
‘There are also more and more diagnoses of hyperactivity, ADHD and hormone problems.’
She said opposition in Pennsylvania has already tried to fight the ban, arguing it should be considered at the federal level.
But the federal government is often bogged down by delays and disagreements over funding and enforcement.
California Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter confirming that he had signed the law earlier this year, making California the first US state to ban four food additives. He included a bag of skittles from the European Union with his letter, saying it was proof that companies could change their recipes
In the memo, Rep. Mihalek wrote, βAs a mother of three young children, I do everything I can to ensure my children get the nutrition they need to learn and grow.
βWhen we purchase products aimed at children from trusted sources, we assume they are safe for our children to consume.
“The more food labels I read, the more I realize this isn’t the case.”
In the proposed ban, the food coloring Red No. 3 included. Research has shown that this substance is associated with cancer in laboratory animals when exposed to very high doses. It has also been linked to behavioral problems in children.
The US banned it in cosmetic products in the 1990s, but it is still allowed to be used in many food products sold in the US.
Another 2016 study found that the food coloring 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 the food coloring in the past two weeks.
Another substance is brominated vegetable oil, which is made from plants and used for citrus flavors. Research has shown that long-term exposure damages the body’s nervous system.
It has also been linked to chronic headaches, memory loss and imbalance. The additive is still used in a number of soft drinks, including Sun Drop and many cheap soft drinks sold in supermarkets.
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.
Finally, potassium bromate is also found in many baked goods and processed foods. The ingredient makes the dough rise, but it has been linked to the development of thyroid and kidney cancer.