Latest news with #HB2354
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
West Virginia poised to become 1st state to ban range of food dyes
The Brief West Virginia is poised to become the first state to ban a range of food dyes. The bill was introduced in February and would first ban food dyes in school meals and eventually in products sold state-wide. Protesters say the bill would disrupt food and beverage sales and the state's economy, and adversely impact lower-income shoppers. Certain food products could soon be banned in West Virginia. The state is poised to become the first state to ban a range of food dyes, which could lead to a ban on the sale of countless food and beverage products in the state. What we know HB 2354 was introduced on Feb. 13, 2025, and has made its way through the state senate and house and was sent to Gov. Patrick Morrisey last reports suggest he's expected to sign the bill. Passing the bill would ban dyes Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3 from foods sold in the state. Dig deeper The ban would reportedly first affect foods and drinks used in school lunches, which would go into effect later this year on Aug. 1. The ban for items sold commercially statewide would go into effect Jan. 1, 2028. What we don't know It's impossible to say yet just how many food and drink products would be affected, and which ones specifically. Additionally, the impact this would have on food and drink sales, jobs and the state's economy isn't clear. What they're saying Supporters of the bill and the lawmakersbehind it say they're going after the ingredients for health reasons. Republican Delegate Adam Burkhammer said the legislation is in support of the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, which has grown under President Donald Trump's re-election and his appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. "West Virginia is nearly last in all health related categories for both adults and children," Burkhammer wrote on social media. "First, we truly do want everyone to be healthy and have the ability to thrive in WV which ultimately supports the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Second, poor health is a major financial burden on our state that will continue to drain funds and resources if we don't reverse the trends." Big picture view Artificial food dyes are widely found in common foods and other products. Some research has tied artificial coloring to behavioral problems in some children, and some consumers are concerned over other adverse - and perhaps unknown - health effects. For example, Red 3 has caused cancer in lab rats. The other side An ingredient ban can pose risks to food and drink industries, by way of supply chain disruptions, increased costs and job loss, according to the West Virginia Beverage Association. The organization has been speaking out against the proposed ingredient ban on social media for the last few weeks, also arguing that it will impact lower-income consumers the most since regulated products are typically more expensive. Meanwhile So far this year, more than 20 states have introduced legislations that take aim at food chemicals, synthetic dyes and heavy metals, according to Environmental Working Group. Additionally, the FDA banned Red 3 from foods earlier this year, with the order set to go into force in January 2027. RELATED: FDA bans Red 3 food dye, citing cancer risk Red No. 3, also known as Erythrosine, is a synthetic dye made from petroleum. It's used as a color additive in food and ingested drugs to give them a "bright cherry-red color," according to an online statement from the FDA. The Source Information in this article was taken from House Bill 2354, as posted on the West Virginia legislature's official government website. Further information breaking down the bill was taken from local The State Journal reportings, and from public statements made on social media by Delegate Adam Burkhammer and the West Virginia Beverage Association. Background information about food dye was taken from previous FOX Television Station reportings and The Associated Press, and from Environmental Working Group, an American nonprofit and environmental activist group.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What foods would go away if West Virginia bans certain food dye?
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — House Bill 2354, which would ban the sale and manufacture of foods containing certain food dyes or preservatives in West Virginia, is currently sitting on the desk of West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, though he has not yet signed it into law. However, if the Governor did sign the bill, what foods would be pulled off store shelves across the state? In West Virginia, the manufacture or sale of any 'adulterated' food or drug in West Virginia is banned through §16-7-1 of the West Virginia state code. House Bill 2354 would classify any food or drug as adulterated if it contains any of the following food dyes or preservatives: Blue No. 1 Blue No. 2 Green No. 3 Red No. 3 Red No. 40 Yellow No. 5 Yellow No. 6 butylated hydroxyanisole Propylparaben The ban on these chemicals would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2028, so retailers would have a little less than three years to find alternative products to sell instead, and producers would have the same amount of time to comply with the legislation if they wanted to keep selling their products in West Virginia. The reasoning behind the ban on these dyes is that West Virginia lawmakers say they pose a credible health risk to both children and adults. Although evidence for toxicity in humans is not conclusive for some of these additives, dyes like Red 3 have already been ordered to be removed from food by the Food and Drug Administration because of its links to increased cancer risk. The banning of these additives would impact hundreds of different food products sold in West Virginia. Americans for Food and Beverage Choice, a food industry lobbying group, claims that about 60% of food in grocery stores would be pulled off store shelves as a result of HB 2354. It's also important to note that dyes and additives can have dozens or even hundreds of different synonyms or nicknames, meaning that a dye could be in two different foods but called two different names. This can make it difficult to figure out if an affected dye is in a product you often buy. For example, Blue No. 1, one of the dyes listed in HB 2354, has 112 synonyms. West Virginia House bill would mandate 3 second pause at stoplights To see what kind of foods would be affected by the potential ban, 12 News spent one hour in Walmart searching for the additives listed in the bill. During that time, we found 43 different food and beverage items that contained one or more of the dyes listed. A majority of the items that contained the dyes were candy, though other items like sports drinks, cracker packs, lemonade and gum contained the dyes as well. The full list of items we found is below. Items that contain more than one dye will appear multiple times but are bolded once. Blue No. 1, also known as 'acid blue 9' or 'brilliant blue' is found in the following foods: Cool Blue Gatorade Glacier Freeze Gatorade M&Ms Kool-Aid Jammers Tropical Punch Kool-Aid Cherry Kool-Aid Blue Raspberry Lemonade Haribo Goldbears Hershey's Polka Dot Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Bunny Mint Oreos Great Value Strawberry Watermelon Drink Mix Great Value Sweet Tea Drink Mix Mio Energy Acai Berry Jolly Rancher Original Flavors and Jolly Rancher Gummies Sours Red Bull The Spring Edition Jell-O Lime Skittles Fritos Flavor Twists Honey BBQ Wrigley's Extra Spearmint gum Trident Spearmint gum 5 Gum Peppermint Cobalt 5 Gum Spearmint Rain Tootsie Roll Pops Pop Tarts Frosted Blueberry Pop Tarts Frosted Strawberry Toaster Strudel Strawberry Froot Loops Blue No. 2, also known as 'Indigo Carmine,' is found in the following foods: Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pop Tarts Frosted Blueberry M&Ms Skittles Fritos Flavor Twists Honey BBQ Red 3, also known as Erythrosin, is found in the following foods: Cosmic Brownies Red No. 40, also known simply as Red 40 or Allura Red, is found in the following foods: Nacho Cheese Doritos Fruit Punch Gatorade Sunkist Orange Flamin' Hot Cheetos Froot Loops Lucky Charms Pop Tarts Frosted Strawberry Toaster Strudel Strawberry Tootsie Roll Pops Twizzlers Pop Tarts Frosted Blueberry Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Smuckers Caramel Sundae Syrup M&Ms Jolly Rancher Original Flavors and Jolly Rancher Gummies Sours Hershey's Polka Dot Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Bunny Skittles Haribo Goldbears Great Value Strawberry Watermelon Drink Mix Great Value Sweet Tea Drink Mix Mio Energy Acai Berry Cosmic Brownies Fritos Flavor Twists Honey BBQ Yellow 5, also known as Tartrazine, is found in the following foods: Mountain Dew Minute Maid Lemonade Lemon Lime Gatorade Utz Cheese Balls Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Haribo Goldbears Fritos Flavor Twists Honey BBQ Nacho Cheese Doritos Jolly Rancher Original Flavors and Jolly Rancher Gummies Sours M&Ms Froot Loops Tootsie Roll Pops Skittles Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Jell-O Lime Flamin' Hot Cheetos Cosmic Brownies Mint Oreos Great Value Sweet Tea Drink Mix 5 Gum Spearmint Rain FD&C Yellow No. 6, also known as Sunset Yellow, is found in the following foods: Lance variety cracker pack Orange Gatorade Mio Orange Vanilla Smuckers Caramel Sundae Syrup Utz Cheese Balls Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Fritos Flavor Twists Honey BBQ Sunkist Orange Lucky Charms Pop Tarts Frosted Strawberry Jolly Rancher Original Flavors and Jolly Rancher Gummies Sours M&Ms Skittles Froot Loops Cosmic Brownies Nacho Cheese Doritos Flamin' Hot Cheetos Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
West Virginia Just Passed A Monumental Ban On These Food Additives
The West Virginia legislature recently passed a landmark bill that, if signed into law by the governor, could lead to drastic changes at the grocery store. House Bill 2354 aims to ban seven major commercial food dyes and two preservatives over concerns surrounding unhealthy side effects: Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No, 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3, propylparaben, and butylated hydroxyanisole, also known as BHA, If it becomes law, HB 2354 would take effect in two ways: First, it would ban the use of the additives from statewide school nutrition programs effective Aug. 1, 2025. Second, it would ban the sale of products containing the additives effective January 1, 2028. The proposed ban on these food additives, many of which are synthesized from petroleum, seeks to improve public health. Studies have drawn potential links between certain food dyes and behavioral problems in children, such as hyperactivity. The preservative BHA is a potential carcinogen in humans, and propylparaben has drawn suspicion about disrupting the endocrine system. The FDA maintains that all of these additives are generally safe for humans at moderate levels. Read more: What You Need To Know Before You Drink Your Next Diet Coke There is a long history of artificial food additives drawing skepticism from health-focused consumers. Red Dye No. 3 is a popular artificial dye targeted by HB 2354 despite a recent ban from the Food and Drug Administration after decades of consumer concern about potential cancer links. (The FDA maintains that there is no known cancer risk to humans.) Unfortunately for lovers of bright red foods, Red Dye No. 40, a popular replacement, is also targeted by the West Virginia bill. West Virginia is far from the first jurisdiction to take action against food additives. California has already banned many food additives for many of the same public health reasons that West Virginia legislators considered. Several countries have also tightly regulated or banned food additives that remain legal in the U.S., including synthetic dyes, propylparaben, and BHT. A ban on this many food additives might raise concerns about drastically reducing shoppers' options, but one major grocery chain has already removed many from its products. Aldi-branded products contain zero artificial food dyes, showing Americans that it is possible to stock your kitchen free from controversial food dyes. Hungry for more? Sign up for the free Daily Meal newsletter for delicious recipes, cooking tips, kitchen hacks, and more, delivered straight to your inbox. Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House passes bill to ban certain synthetic food dyes and preservatives
Feb. 28—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — The House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved on Friday a bill to ban certain food preservatives and synthetic dyes. The vote to pass HB 2354 was 93-5. It will head to the Senate. As it happened, the version of the bill the delegates passed was amended on the House floor to match the senate version, SB 245, which advanced out of Senate Health on Thursday and will be on first reading on the Senate floor on Monday. The version of HB 2354 that came to the floor bans red dye 3, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, blue 2 and green 3 — because the dyes are linked to neurological and neurobehavioral impacts in children. The bill also bans butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and propylparaben, synthetic food preservatives. The bill sat idle for several days during talks with the Senate, and on Friday House Health chair Evan Worrell, R-Cabell brought his amendment to the floor that adopted the Senate version. It maintains the dye and preservative bans but makes the bans effective Jan. 1, 2027, to allow grocers and manufacturers time to adjust, and to coordinate with California legislation and federal mandates. The bill also includes a ban on the listed dyes in school nutrition programs effective Aug. 1 this year. There's an exception to the ban for school fundraisers. Delegate Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, said, "I'm glad to see us tackling an issue like this. Ronald McDonald's killed far more people than the Marlboro Man ever met, all day long." Steele said the Japanese pay close attention to food additives. And while they pay a bit more and the foods might not stay as fresh as long, the children live longer healthier lives. The FDA has already ordered that red dye 3 must be removed from foods by 2027 and medications by 2028 because of its links to cancer. It's already banned in some European countries, Australia and New Zealand. Alternate versions of some of the American foods that contain the synthetic dyes are available in other countries with safer colorings, and in American stores such as Aldi. California has banned blue 1 and 2, green 3, red 40 and yellow 5 and 6 from schools because of concerns about behavior issues. Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania are looking at bans. Worrell said 23 state in total are looking at dye bans. Delegate Larry Kump, R-Berkeley, said, "West Virginia health is ranked in the dumpster. Our diets are a big part of the ranking. ... These food producers have not been held accountable for the liberties they have taken with our food and our people." Five Republicans voted against the bill. Following passage, the National Confectioners Association issued a statement opposing the bill. The NCA said, "This measure will make food more expensive for people in West Virginia. There is a role for state legislators and public health officials to play in the ongoing conversation about food additives, but — as we have been saying for years — FDA is the rightful national regulatory decision maker and leader in food safety. "Food safety is the number one priority for U.S. confectionery companies, " NCA said, "and we will continue to follow and comply with FDA's guidance and safety standards. Our consumers and everyone in the food industry want and expect a strong FDA, and a consistent, science-based national regulatory framework." That confidence in the FDA was not reflected in committee testimony in the Hose or Senate. Environmental health consultant Lisa Lefferts, who served on the 2011 FDA advisory board looking into synthetic dyes, told House Health that the FDA is not leading the way on phasing out the dyes. It conducts pre-market safety reviews based on animal studies 35-70 years old that aren't geared to contemporary health concerns. And while some bodies, such at the West Virginia Beverage Association, cite current FDA approval of the dyes as assurance of their safety, Lefferts said the FDA has not done a thorough evaluation of them in decades and has nothing on its agenda. "I don't think we can rely on the FDA."
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House food dye ban bill advances, heads for passage; two preservatives added
Feb. 21—MORGANTOWN — The House of Delegates will take up a bill to ban a handful of synthetic dyes from foods sold in West Virginia starting Monday. Current code bans added substances and ingredients that are "poisonous or injurious to the health " from food, drink, confectioneries and condiments. HB 2354 would add a single line to code banning red dye 3, red dye 40, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, blue dye 2 and green dye 3 — because the dyes are linked to neurological and neurobehavioral impacts in children. After spending two hours hearing testimony on the bill on Tuesday, the Health Committee on Friday approved and advanced to the House floor a revised version adding two more substances to the ban list: butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and propylparaben. BHA and propylparaben are synthetic food preservatives. The National Center for Biotechnology Information says BHA "is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals." The Cleveland Clinic says propylparaben can disrupt the endocrine and female reproductive systems, may also interfere with normal reproductive hormone function in men, and may be linked to breast cancer. The FDA has already ordered that red dye 3 must be removed from foods by 2027 and medications by 2028 because of its links to cancer. It's already banned in some European countries, Australia and New Zealand California has banned blue 1 and 2, green 3, red 40 and yellow 5 and 6 from schools because of concerns about behavior issues. Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania are looking at bans. HB 2354 will be on first reading on Monday, and up for third reading and passage on Wednesday. It would then move to the Senate.
