Taking effect by the 2026–2027 school year, the Arizona Healthy Schools Act has been signed into law, banning “ultra-processed foods,” defined as foods containing any one of 11 artificial food dyes and additives, from being sold in schools.
Less than two months after the filing of a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ultra-processed food manufacturers, President Trump released an Executive Order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission.
California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel has introduced a bill that aims to define and identify “ultra-processed foods” so that they can be phased out of state public schools.
In a March 10 meeting with the CEOs of food industry giants, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr), known for his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, demanded that their companies end the use of artificial food dyes in their products—before the government is forced to act.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has put out an open call for data on the use and presence of food additives and flavorings to inform a pilot monitoring program. The data may help inform dietary exposure estimates for authorization and risk assessment purposes.
Arizona House Bill 2164, aiming to ban 11 chemicals and colorants, has passed the state House and has moved onto the Senate. Similar bills are currently progressing in West Virginia and Texas.
If FDA's regulatory decision-making should be based on science, but the Delaney Clause prohibits FDA from considering the totality of the available scientific evidence in making safety determinations for food and color additives, can the Delaney Clause and science-based decision making coexist?
Texas and West Virginia are the latest states to progress bills that aim to ban artificial food dyes and other additives from foods served at schools or from sale statewide.
This episode of Food Safety Five covers a new EU regulation that limits PFAS in food packaging and bans single-use plastics for fruit and vegetables under a certain weight, among other changes. Also discussed is a bill introduced to the New York State legislature to ban certain food additives and tighten requirements for GRAS ingredients.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Natalie Rainer and Dr. Peter Coneski, food regulatory experts at K&L Gates LLP, about the policy and legal issues surrounding food packaging chemicals of concern and targeted food additives, and the implications for industry.
