CBS NEWS – California lawmakers have voted to ban food additives linked to behavioral issues in kids from school lunchrooms.
That means snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Twinkies and more will no longer be allowed in school cafeterias across the state.
Stores may still sell the food products, though, under the first-of-its-kind legislation, called the California School Food Safety Act.
The controversial ingredients include food dyes Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 And Yellow 6, which give color to snacks like Doritos, Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles cereals and Jolly Ranchers candy.
Advocates for the ban argue the additives have no nutritional value, are used solely for superficial purposes, and can cause health problems.
Red 3 has been found to cause cancer in animals and Red 40, Yellow 5 And Yellow 6, have been found to be contaminated with carcinogens like benzidine, which can increase one’s risk of developing cancer, according to a 2012 study from the National Institutes of Health.
California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the bill’s author, said the legislation could prompt changes in how these types of “dangerous” foods are marketed to children beyond California, and could even lead to companies changing the way they formulate such snacks.
