Thousands of everyday snacks that face being BANNED in multiple states because their ingredients are linked to cancer – including Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Lucky Charms and Gatorade

Bills moving forward in several states could see “thousands” of America’s favorite sweets, snacks and soft drinks banned in their current form.

California passed a historic “Skittles ban” last October, banning four food additives linked to cancer, fertility problems and damage to the nervous system.

Now New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois have taken similar measures, targeting a total of thirteen additives that have been banned in some European countries due to alleged health risks.

New Jersey and Missouri are also considering the bans. If accepted, they would force companies change their prescriptions or take legal action.

Experts say the bans could change the appearance, taste and texture of some American favorites.

Brian Ronholm, director of food safety at Consumer Reports, a campaign group defending the bans, said: ‘There is no confusion among consumers on this issue: they want these chemicals out of food.

‘But when [consumers] See how the FDA has failed to keep up with the latest research… they recognize that the states are the only ones trying to protect them from toxic food chemicals right now.”

He warned that thousands of food products, including breakfast cereals, sweet treats and drinks, could be affected.

California’s ‘Skittles Ban,’ set to take effect in January 2027, banned four food additives: brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propyl paraben and Red 3.

These ingredients have been banned in Europe for years because of their… connections to kidneys, thyroid and gastrointestinal tract cancer and mood disorders.

California’s ban led to the introduction of a series of similar bills in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Missouri and Pennsylvania.

But some states are trying to go even further than the Golden State.

The New York bill calls for banning azodicarbinamide, used in bread and other baked goods, and butylated hydroxyanisole, a preservative used in processed meats.

And Iawmakers in Pennsylvania are calling for a ban on several food colorings – Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2 – due to their links to hyperactivity in children.

Several studies — including a 2021 review by the California Environmental Protection Agency — have suggested that synthetic dyes can cause unwanted behaviors, including inattention, hyperactivity and restlessness.

Scientists suggest this may be because the dyes disrupt the brain’s dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to mood and behavior.

“They’re linked to restlessness,” Ronholm said, “so that’s kind of the crux of the effort to get these synthetic food colorings out of children.”

“These additives are introduced to children at an age when they are still developing, and introducing them at a young age… only increases the risk over time.”

Several animal studies have also linked the additives to certain cancers, including in the kidneys and blood.

Three of the dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 – may also be contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen.

Ronholm added: ‘When you combine the fact that they are linked to certain types of cancer, but then also linked to behavioral problems, it drives home the point that these are things that don’t belong in food because of the increased risk it poses . That is the core of the bill.’

California has introduced a bill that aims to ban all dyes – and Green 3 – from its schools.

Studies have also linked Green 3 to hyperactivity in children, which is likely the reason for the decision to include this dye as well.

Above, reporter Luke Andrews is seen assessing supermarket items for food colourings

But Chris Gindlesberg, of the National Confectioners Association, said many studies linking the dyes to health effects were “glaringly flawed” and failed to prove a direct link.

Four of the five additives in Pennsylvania’s bill are already banned in some European countries, while one of them – Red 40 – can only be used in products if they agree to also carry a warning label.

Canada has not banned the food dyes listed in the Pennsylvania and California bills, but says they are safe to use.

The New York State bill also includes the additive titanium dioxide, which is used to add shine and brightness to colors — and is found in many treats, including cones and cupcakes.

It was included in California’s original bill but was later repealed after lobbying the dairy industry, which uses it to give low-fat milk a white color.