California Food Safety Act Bans Harmful Chemicals in Food

by Danny Post

What is the importance of eliminating these chemicals, and should Washington follow suit?

Every time you make a choice at the grocery store, you vote with your dollars for the kind of products you want to see more of in the world. Unfortunately, chemicals in consumer products are hidden in plain sight everywhere.

While processed foods may be easy choices in our busy lives, they come with hidden costs to our health. A study done by Harvard Public Health states that chronic food illness caused by the consumption of overprocessed foods with hidden chemicals kills up to 678,000 Americans a year.

We all know America has a problem with health. But is that our fault? Looking around a grocery store there is processed food everywhere. But convenience can come with nasty consequences.

Just this past month there has been a huge step to reduce our consumption of harmful chemicals. The California Food Safety Act will ban four common chemicals sold in food products starting in 2027.

The first ban on the list is brominated vegetable oil, which is used to enhance citrus flavors and found in some citrus soda products, gummy candies and frozen foods.

Next is potassium bromate, a chemical used to produce dough products more efficiently. It’s commonly found in brands of bagels, bread, or crackers.

Propylparaben, a chemical used to limit the growth of mold and bacteria, will also be banned.

So will Red dye no. 3. This ingredient is a coal tar dye, or a synthetic colorant made from petroleum. Fruit by the Foot, Betty Crocker products, Peeps and thousands of other food items include this dye.

All of these chemicals have been found to be cancer-causing. Because these chemicals and others are included in so many consumer goods, they are understandably hard to avoid. California is forcing companies to change the recipe for these items or have them taken off the shelves.

The California Food Safety Act is a significant step forward in protecting public health, but it also raises important questions about the future of food safety and regulations in other states. California is one of the most influential and populated states in America and is hopefully setting the stage for other regions to enact this law to protect our nation’s health.

As residents of Washington State, we must ask ourselves: Why not here? Washington has long been renowned for placing importance on environmental sustainability and public health. It is essential we continue this legacy and push against companies that profit from consumer ignorance.

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Edited by Sofia Hessler