Latest news with #MountainDew
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mountain Dew And Doritos Might Receive A Disturbing Warning Label In This State (And It's Not California)
Shoppers in America's second-largest state may soon see an unsettling warning label on some of their favorite snacks and packaged foods. Texas lawmakers passed a bill with support from both Republicans and Democrats that would require food and drinks like Doritos and Mountain Dew to warn that they contain ingredients "not recommended for human consumption." Governor Greg Abbott has not said if he'll sign the legislation into law. The measure mandating a warning label on products sold in Texas beginning in 2027 singles out targeted ingredients based on other Western countries either banning them in food products, or requiring a warning label. The more than 40 ingredients that would trigger a warning label include bleached flour, synthetic dyes, and certain sweeteners, oils, and preservatives, among them Olestra, the '90s diet miracle turned national joke. The full wording of the proposed label in the Make Texas Healthy Again bill says, "WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authorities in Australia, Canada, the European Union or the United Kingdom." It would affect not only chips, candy, and soda, but also breakfast cereal, snack cakes, cookies, drinks, and even frozen dinners and processed meat. Read more: The Most Popular Ice Cream Flavors In The US The proposed warning label comes in a Republican state that has traditionally been opposed to new regulation. But the Texas bill has the support of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and aligns with his Make America Healthy Again effort. It also comes after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned several synthetic food dyes earlier in 2025. But food manufacturers have pushed back against the label requirement. Some said in a letter to Texas lawmakers in May that restrictions shouldn't go further than U.S. national standards, and questioned basing it on other countries' rules. The statement also warned that common foods would be affected, making them harder for consumers to get, and raising prices. If the warning label does become the law in Texas, it could lead to manufacturers rolling it out nationally, which would be more streamlined than adding labels to products sold only in Texas. It could also spur the use of healthier alternatives, which happened when the FDA approved new natural food dyes after the synthetic ban. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas on the verge of putting warning labels on junk food
(NewsNation) — In Texas, a bill has reached Gov. Greg Abbott's desk requiring warning labels on packaged foods like Doritos, Mountain Dew and M&M's that contain certain additives. The bill, passed unanimously by the Texas state Senate, would mandate labels on products that include synthetic dyes, titanium dioxide, bleached flour, partially hydrogenated oils, melatonin and various food colorings. In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of 2026. Texas investigating cereal giant Kellogg over food dye use Kennedy has advocated for the Texas legislation. 'Secretary Kennedy encourages states to promote healthy practices and enhance consumer transparency in food labeling,' an HHS official told NewsNation. 'Americans deserve to know what's in their food, so they can make informed choices for themselves and their families.' However, several companies and organizations, including the Texas Retailers Association, have criticized portions of the bill. Texas considers banning products infused with THC derived from hemp, and retailers are worried 'The food labeling provision in this bill casts an incredibly wide net, triggering warning labels on everyday grocery items based on assertions that foreign governments have banned such items, rather than on standards established by Texas regulators or the USDA,' the organization said in a statement. If the bill is approved, Texas would become one of the first states to require such disclosures, potentially reshaping national food industry standards. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
M&M's, Skittles and Doritos could be labeled ‘not recommended for human consumption' in Texas
Popular snacks such as Skittles, M&M's and Doritos, and soft drinks like Mountain Dew could soon be labeled 'not recommended for human consumption' if lawmakers in Texas have their way. The Lone Star State's GOP-dominated legislature is moving forward with a bill that would require warning labels on foods sold in the state if they contain ingredients banned or restricted in other countries. The legislation, known as Senate Bill 25, is drawing national attention for targeting well-known snack items that include food dyes prohibited or flagged in regions such as the European Union. 4 Popular snacking items such as Doritos potato chips could be on the verge of being labeled 'not recommended for human consumption' in Texas. Getty Images While these substances are legal in the US, some have been banned or tightly regulated elsewhere due to health concerns. The proposed measure mandates that starting in 2027, manufacturers add clear labels that say,: 'WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom.'. Supporters of the legislation include Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made food labeling and ingredient transparency central to his 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative. 'We are committed to protecting public health by ensuring families know what's in their food,' Kennedy has said. 4 Texas' GOP-dominated legislature is moving forward with a bill that would require warning labels on foods and drinks such as Mountain Dew that are sold in the state if they contain ingredients banned or restricted in other countries. The image above shows Bryan Cranston in a Super Bowl commercial from 2020. AP Under Texas law, Abbott has 20 days following the end of the legislative session — which concluded Monday — to sign the measure. A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would carefully review the bill. 'Gov. Abbott will continue to work with the legislature to ensure Texans have access to healthy foods to care for themselves and their families,' press secretary Andrew Mahaleris told Bloomberg News. The bill calls for the warning labels to be printed in a font size at least as large as the smallest type used for existing FDA-required information. The labels must also be placed in a location that is easy to see and designed with enough contrast to stand out on the packaging. A number of major food companies and retail giants, including PepsiCo, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, Conagra Brands and Walmart, expressed concern in a letter to Texas legislators dated May 19. 4 The bill, known as Senate Bill 25, is drawing national attention for targeting well-known snack items like Skittles. Getty Images In the letter, they called on lawmakers to reconsider the bill's scope and potential implications for everyday consumer products. 'As currently written, the food labeling provision in this bill casts an incredibly wide net — triggering warning labels on everyday grocery items based on assertions that foreign governments have banned such items, rather than on standards established by Texas regulators or by the US Food and Drug Administration,' the letter stated. Walmart, which was listed among the signatories, said it is closely following legislative developments that may impact its business and deferred further comment to the Texas Retailers Association. 'Texas retailers and our members including Walmart worked hard on this bill, made some changes, and we'll see how it develops over the next 20 days,' said Gary Huddleston, a grocery industry consultant with the association. Representatives for the companies named in the letter were not immediately available for comment. 4 Representatives for the food industry are urging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to veto the proposed legislation. Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Other industry-based critics of the bill also argued that it imposes burdensome regulations and could result in consumer confusion. A coalition of food manufacturers and distributors sent a letter to the Texas legislature asking them to reconsider the warning label provision. 'As currently written, the food labeling provision in this bill casts an incredibly wide net — triggering warning labels on everyday grocery items based on assertions that foreign governments have banned such items,' the letter read. John Hewitt, a senior vice president with the Consumer Brands Association, has urged Abbott to veto the bill. 'The ingredients used in the US food supply are safe and have been rigorously studied following an objective science- and risk-based evaluation process,' Hewitt said in a statement. 'The labeling requirements of SB 25 mandate inaccurate warning language, create legal risks for brands and drive consumer confusion and higher costs.'
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Doritos, M&Ms, Skittles could be forced to include warning labels on packaged foods in Texas
A Texas bill on the verge of becoming law would require labels on packaged food from Skittles to Mountain Dew that warn about ingredients 'not recommended for human consumption' by other countries. Also Read | Gastroenterlogist shares '3 worst foods he avoids as a liver specialist to protect the liver' Texas Senate Bill 25, backed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr, is now awaiting the signature of Gov Greg Abbott. Foods containing certain ingredients would require warning labels on new packaging beginning in 2027 in order to be sold in Texas, which is the second-most populous US state with 31 million residents. The bill lists more than 40 ingredients, including synthetic food dyes and bleached flour. Many, but not all, of the additives are banned or require warnings in other countries. If approved, the impact on the packaged-food industry could be far reaching: When companies are forced to comply with state regulations, they have often opted to adopt those changes nationwide to streamline production. It would also mark one of the most substantive victories yet for the Make America Healthy Again movement, Kennedy's signature effort. The bill's supporters have said it has Kennedy's backing: Rep. Lacey Hull, a state lawmaker who was one of the bill's sponsors in the House, said she received a call from him when it passed the legislature. Abbott has yet to commit to signing the bill, however. 'Governor Abbott will continue to work with the legislature to ensure Texans have access to healthy foods to care for themselves and their families and will thoughtfully review any legislation they send to his desk,' Andrew Mahaleris, his press secretary, said in a statement to Bloomberg News before the bill reached Abbott on June 1. The governor's office didn't respond to an updated request for comment. Texas is seen as one of the most business-friendly states in the US, with no state income tax for individuals and generally a lighter approach to regulations. If Abbott signs the bill, 'he will go down as a historical figure as the man who broke the food industry's back on these chemicals,' said food activist Vani Hari, also known as Food Babe. 'This is something that will spawn incredible change within the food industry.' HHS didn't respond to a request for comment. The bill contains a possible carve-out: If either the Food and Drug Administration or Department of Agriculture deem an ingredient safe, restrict its use, including by adding their own warning, or ban it outright after September 1, the state's own labels for that ingredient won't be required. And if the federal government mandates labelling for 'ultra-processed or processed foods,' that would also supersede Texas' required labels. But if the FDA, which falls under Kennedy's jurisdiction, doesn't declare the listed ingredients safe or offer new qualifications for their use, the warnings would be required for new food labels developed and copyrighted starting in 2027. While some of the ingredients slated for warning labels, such as titanium dioxide and bleached flour, are more highly regulated in other countries, others, like the emulsifier DATEM, have less stringent regulations. A wide range of foods would require a warning label on new packaging to be sold in Texas under the bill, barring changes in formulation. These include Mars Inc.'s Skittles and M&Ms, WK Kellogg Co.'s Froot Loops, PepsiCo Inc.'s Mountain Dew and Nacho Cheese Doritos, which use synthetic dyes. HHS and the FDA said in April that they'll work with food producers to eliminate the dyes by the end of 2026. Industry groups have said no agreement exists on the matter. BHT, a preservative listed in the Texas bill, is found in cereals like General Mills Inc.'s Cinnamon Toast Crunch. BHA, which is also listed, is present in deli meats, but the bill exempts foods regulated by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which oversees meat, poultry and eggs. Pastries such as General Mills' Pillsbury Toaster Strudel and Entenmann's Little Bites Chocolate Chip Muffins, made by Grupo Bimbo SAB, use bleached flours. Titanium dioxide, used for colouring and shine, is used in Mondelez International Inc.'s Sour Patch Kids Watermelon. Other products that would be affected include white breads made by Wonder and Sara Lee brands and Campbell's Company's Pepperidge Farms, which all use DATEM. The bill would require the warnings appear in a font size that's no smaller than the smallest text for other FDA-required information. The wording would need to appear in a 'prominent and reasonably visible location' and have 'sufficiently high contrast.' Industry groups and companies, including PepsiCo, Mondelez, Coca-Cola Co., Conagra Brands Inc., and Walmart Inc sent the Texas legislature a letter dated May 19 urging lawmakers not to pass the initiative. 'As it's written, the food labeling provision in this bill casts an incredibly wide net — triggering warning labels on everyday grocery items based on assertions that foreign governments have banned such items, rather than on standards established by Texas regulators or by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,' the companies and groups wrote in the letter. Conagra declined to comment. The other companies didn't immediately provide comment to Bloomberg News. The Consumer Brands Association, an industry group for some of the country's largest food companies, urged Abbott to veto the bill. 'The ingredients used in the U.S. food supply are safe and have been rigorously studied following an objective science and risk-based evaluation process,' said John Hewitt, senior vice president of state affairs for CBA. 'The labelling requirements of SB 25 mandate inaccurate warning language, create legal risks for brands and drive consumer confusion and higher costs.' Jura Liaukonyte, a professor of marketing and applied economics at Cornell University, said state laws have had a wider impact on the industry in the past, including a Vermont law from about a decade ago that briefly required foods to disclose the use of most genetically modified organisms. This caused some companies to add the labels nationwide, according to her research. Similarly, California's Proposition 65 product warnings have spread to some products nationwide, she said.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Some popular foods may soon require warning labels in Texas
The Brief Texas could be among the first states to require warning labels on foods containing artificial dyes and some chemicals. Senate Bill 25 is waiting for Gov. Abbott's signature. The bill includes an increased physical activity requirement for middle school students and nutrition education for undergraduate students at colleges and universities. AUSTIN, Texas - The next time a Texan buys a Mountain Dew or a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, they might find a warning that it contains ingredients that other countries say shouldn't be eaten. Senate Bill 25 currently sits on Gov. Greg Abbott's desk awaiting his signature. The bill would require products that contain certain food additives to have a warning label that says those additives are "not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom." The warning label must be placed in a "prominent and reasonably visible" location on the packaging and must be easily readable on the background of the packaging. The bill would only apply to packages produced after Jan. 1, 2027. More than 40 ingredients that could trigger the warning label under the Make Texas Healthy Again bill. READ MORE: FDA aims to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food by end of 2026 The ingredients that would trigger the warning label include: Acetylayed esters of mono- and diglycerides (acetic acid ester) Anisole Azodicarbonamide (ADA) Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) Bleached flour Blue 1 (CAS 3844-45-9) Blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0) Bromated flour Calcium bromate Canthaxanthin Certified food colors by the United States Food and Drug Administration Citrus red 2 (CAS 6358-53-8) Diacetyl Diacetyl tartaric and fatty acid esters of mono- and diglycerides (DATEM) Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS) Ficin Green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9) Interesterified palm oil Interesterified soybean oil Lactylated fatty acid esters of glycerol and propylene glycol Lye Morpholine Olestra Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) Potassium aluminum sulfate Potassium bromate Potassium iodate Propylene oxide Propylparaben Red 3 (CAS 16423-68-0) Red 4 (CAS 4548-53-2) Red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6) Sodium aluminum sulfate Sodium lauryl sulfate Sodium stearyl fumarate Stearyl tartrate Synthetic trans fatty acid Thiodipropionic acid Titanium dioxide Toluene Yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0) Yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0) Beyond the food warning labels, SB25 mandates more time for health and exercise in public schools. Currently, students in grades six, seven and eight are required to participate in four semesters of at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. That number would increase to six semesters under SB 25. In higher education, students in an undergraduate degree program would be required to take a class in nutrition education as developed by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. The committee would be appointed by the governor by Dec. 31, 2025. The seven-member committee would at least include: One expert in metabolic health, culinary medicine, lifestyle medicine, or integrative medicine One licensed physician certified in functional medicine One member representing the Texas Department of Agriculture One member representing a rural community One member representing an urban community One pediatrician specializing in metabolic health Doctors and nurses would be required to complete continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health in order to remain licensed in Texas. The Source Information on Senate Bill 25 comes from the Texas Legislature. Information on products containing artificial dyes comes from those individual ingredient labels.
