Governor Gavin Newsom signed a landmark law banning red dye No. 3, a colorant that gives foods bright red and pink colors, and three other potentially harmful food additives on Oct 7. Assembly Bill 418, the California Food Safety Act, will make California the first state in the country to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of nearly 3,000 food products containing red dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, or propylparaben. Even though it’s still more than three years away, I eagerly anticipate January 2027, when the law goes into effect, and I’m hopeful that it will make a positive impact on health.
According to a 2021 study, this red dye is associated with a higher risk of cancer and hyperactivity in children, among other health concerns. Red dye No. 3, also known as erythrosine, is mainly derived from petroleum and has been banned in cosmetics and topical medicines since 1990 when the FDA cited a study reviewed by the National Toxicology Program that found it caused thyroid cancer in male rats. The lab rats developed tumors when fed high doses of the dye over long periods. These scary results should’ve been the first “red flag” to be taken more seriously by the FDA. It seems illogical that we should be eating anything that is already unsafe to apply to our skin, yet the colorant continued to be used in food products like Peeps, Ring Pop, and Pez Candy for decades.
This should not have been the case. The result of one double-blind study in Canada, evaluated by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, revealed that children aged 6-12 and sensitive to artificial food dyes, showed more inattentiveness, restlessness, and hyperactivity. The California Food Safety Act has been misleadingly known as the “Skittles ban,” which led people to believe the candy will be removed from store shelves when the law is enacted. This mass worry finally caught the attention of the public and Skittle-enjoyers like me. I’m relieved to say that contrary to the nickname, the law will not prohibit Skittles from being sold in California. Rather, companies like Skittles will need to adjust their recipes to comply with public health laws. Newsom has delayed the enactment of the ban until 2027, which should be enough time for corporations like Skittle to remove the dye.
Because of the size of California’s economy, Bill 418 also affects foods across the country, as many companies will choose not to create two versions of their product: one for California and one for every other state. Ingredient lists are likely to be adjusted for possibly 12,000 nationwide products.
In addition, the California law seems to be creating a ripple effect in the country. An almost identical bill is moving through a committee in the New York legislature, which aims to also ban red dye No. 3. The positive impact of this law in our state may lead to health improvements throughout the country.
It’s essential that American consumers can trust the safety of their products as many of us don’t research the possibly harmful effects of every ingredient on the back label, especially with familiar brands we’ve grown up on. I’m guilty as well of ignoring the back label, like many who blindly trust these corporations to not sell us harmful additives. Skittle is only one of the many companies that use red dye No. 3 and widely market to children: a demographic that is even less likely to read the ingredient label and definitely doesn’t know the health issues associated with certain artificial dyes. With Halloween in only a few days, there’s a significant chance that you’ll come across many candies unnaturally bright in color; however, maybe skip the red Skittle for now. In five Halloweens, we’ll all be able to taste the rainbow, but without red dye No. 3.
