California Food Safety Act Banning Red Dye 3, Other Chemicals in Food Passes Senate, Awaits Governor’s Signature
California Assembly Bill 418, also called the California Food Safety Act, which aims to prohibit four food additives from being used or sold in the state due to associated health risks, recently passed the state Senate and is waiting to be signed into law by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. If it becomes law, the bill would ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3 from foods in California beginning January 1, 2027.
Specifically, the bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale, delivery, distribution, holding, or offering for sale of the four remaining chemicals in foods produced for human consumption. Violation of the California Food Safety Act would be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for a first violation and not to exceed $10,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill originally included a fifth substance, titanium dioxide, in its list of targeted chemicals, but it was removed days before passing the Senate due to a lack of bipartisan support.