Officials move to ban controversial food item found in schools across the country: 'Prioritizing student health'
Changes could be on the menu for Delaware schools after state lawmakers introduced a new bill.
Senate Bill 69 would prohibit selling or distributing food and beverages that contain Red 40 at public and charter schools, according to the Delaware News Journal. Sen. Eric Buckson is the primary sponsor of the bill, which looks to protect students from potential health risks associated with the food additive.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Red 40 is a synthetic food dye made from petroleum. The dye is used in various foods, including cereal, beverages, dairy products, and sugary treats.
However, Cleveland Clinic named allergic reactions and migraines as potential side effects. There are also studies that link artificial food dyes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in kids.
The introduction of the bill comes just months after the FDA announced a nationwide ban on Red 3 in food, beverages, and drug products. Red 3 and Red 40 are not the same, though they pose similar concerns. According to scientists, Red 3 may cause cancer and thyroid issues, which prompted the European Union to ban the additive over 30 years ago.
Delaware isn't the first state to take a stand against artificial food dyes. Many states across the nation have worked to pass laws prohibiting synthetic food coloring. Companies are moving away from dyes, too. PepsiCo is in the process of phasing out synthetic dyes used in snacks. The company will use natural ingredients instead.
Banning artificial food dyes is a win for the environment as well. According to one study, synthetic dyes are harmful to animals, plants, and humans. Untreated synthetic dyes released into bodies of water can reduce light for photosynthesis, affecting the entire food chain.
If the new bill is passed in Delaware, the restrictions would take effect in schools by July 1, 2026. The Senate Education Committee is reviewing the legislation. "The bill ensures Delaware is prioritizing student health while providing room for reasonable exemptions as necessary," Buckson said.
Do you think kids learn enough about gardening in school?
Not even close
There could be more focus
It's probably about right
It doesn't belong in school
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alzheimer's blood test can accurately pick up early symptoms
A new blood test for Alzheimer's disease can accurately detect people with early symptoms, research suggests. Experts from the Mayo Clinic in the US have provided further evidence that blood tests can work to accurately diagnose dementia, by examining two proteins in blood plasma. These proteins – amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217 – are associated with amyloid plaque build-up, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found the blood test was highly accurate, with 95% sensitivity, which means it was 95% accurate in picking up people with memory problems, with very few cases missed. It was also 82% for specificity, which means it was also highly accurate in ruling out people without dementia. The study was carried out on more than 500 people in an outpatient memory clinic, meaning it is real-world data. The blood test has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration regulator in the US. Dr Gregg Day, who led the study in the Alzheimer's and Dementia journal, said the test was as good as more invasive tests currently in use. 'Our study found that blood testing affirmed the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with 95% sensitivity and 82% specificity,' he said. 'When performed in the outpatient clinical setting, this is similar to the accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of the disease and is much more convenient and cost-effective.' Overall, researchers found that p-tau217 levels were higher in patients with Alzheimer's disease versus those without the disease. Dr Day said the next steps in the research were to evaluate blood-based testing in more diverse patient populations and people with early Alzheimer's who show no cognitive symptoms. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director for research and innovation at the Alzheimer's Society in the UK, said the results 'suggest this test is very accurate' and could be used alongside other tests and observations from a trained health professional. "This study shows how blood tests are making diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease quicker, easier and more accessible than ever before in a real-world setting," he added. "While focused on Alzheimer's disease, the test was evaluated in people with other types of dementias too, showing that it may help with differentiate causes of cognitive decline – though more research in diverse groups of individuals and in community-based setting is still needed."
American Military News
19 hours ago
- American Military News
A-ha frontman Morten Harket reveals Parkinson's diagnosis
A-ha frontman Morten Harket has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he revealed in an article published on the band's website Wednesday. The 'Take On Me' singer told biographer Jan Omdahl that he underwent a procedure for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in June 2024, addressing the left side of his brain, and a similar one in December for the right. Parkinson's causes parts of one's brain to deteriorate and affects muscle control, balance and movement, as well as thinking ability and mental health, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 'The simple fact that, on good days, Morten shows virtually no sign of many of the most familiar physical symptoms of Parkinson's, doesn't mean that he is well,' wrote Omdahl, who penned the Norwegian band's 2003 biography, 'The Swing of Things.' Omdahl recounted Harket's 'round-the-clock effort to balance medication, signals from the electrodes in his brain, sleep, blood sugar and mindset in a way that keeps the symptoms and side effects more or less in check,' though it 'isn't always successful.' Harket said he doesn't 'expect to be able to achieve full technical control' of his voice anymore, even as he works on unreleased music. 'The question is whether I can express myself with my voice,' he told Omdahl. 'As things stand now, that's out of the question.' Harket, however, told fans not to worry and instead 'spend your energy and effort addressing real problems, and know that I am being taken care of.' A-ha — a synth-pop trio whose members also include Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy — is best known for their 1980s hits 'Take On Me,' 'Cry Wolf' and 'The Sun Always Shines on TV.' The band split in 2009 but briefly reunited in 2015. The music video for 'Take On Me' hit 1 billion views in early 2020 and crossed the 2 billion-view threshold this past September. ___ © 2025 New York Daily News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Blue states call on FDA to expand abortion pill access
Attorneys general of New York, California, New Jersey and Massachusetts are asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand access to the abortion pill and remove some 'unnecessary' drug restrictions that have been in place for more than two decades. The joint petition, filed Thursday, comes days after FDA Commissioner Marty Makary committed to reviewing the abortion drug amid pressure from Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some Republican lawmakers. The FDA first approved of the use of mifepristone and misoprostol for an abortion in 2000. Unlike surgical abortions, medication abortions do not need to take place in a clinical setting, and patients are able to take the pills at home. Most abortions in the U.S. are now medication abortions, according to data from the reproductive health and rights group Guttmacher Institute. In 2023, 63 percent of all abortions in the U.S. were medication abortions. The safety of mifepristone has come under increased scrutiny by some Republican lawmakers, citing a flawed study claiming the rate of adverse health events that occur among patients is far higher than previously reported. More than 100 scientific studies have been conducted looking at the safety and efficacy of mifepristone and misoprostol; all of them have found that the drugs are a safe way to terminate a pregnancy. 'Given Mifepristone's 25-year safety record, there is simply no scientific or medical reason to subject it to such extraordinary restrictions,' New York Attorney General Letitia James said. 'The FDA must follow the science and lift these unnecessary barriers that put patients at risk and push providers out of care.' Mifepristone's use is subject to a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program under the FDA. The attorneys general argue three requirements under the REMS program for the drug should be removed since they pose a burden to patients and health care systems. The first is related to prescriber certification. As part of the REMS program, health care providers who prescribe mifepristone are required to add their names to national and abortion provider lists, which the attorneys general say raise 'serious safety and legal concerns.' The second has to do with patient agreement forms. All patients who want mifepristone — even those using the drug to treat a miscarriage — are required to sign a document stating they are using the drug to end a pregnancy. The third requirement mentioned in the petition is connected to pharmacy certification. As part of mifepristone's REMS program, pharmacies that carry the drug are subject to tracking, shipping and reporting requirements, which the attorneys general argue may 'dissuade' some from carrying the drug. The FDA has yet to reply to a request for comment from The Hill about the petition. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
