California may ban food additives deemed safe by FDA

The California legislature is seeking to ban five additives frequently found in foods. Red Dye No. 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben, all currently banned in the European Union.

The FDA has been claiming that the ingredients are safe.

The proposed bill AB 418 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of any food product in California containing those ingredients.

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, one of the bill’s two sponsors, called the ingredients “dangerous and toxic chemicals.

According to the proposed bill, scientific studies have shown significant public health harms, including increased risk of cancer, behavioral issues in children, harm to the reproductive system, and damage to the immune system.

If enacted, California would be the first US state to ban the use of these ingredients.