Hi everyone. For those of you who don’t know, I studied public health during undergrad, and it’s an area of study I happen to be super passionate about. I want to try to write a post every month or so that highlights a current event in the world of public health and shares my thoughts on the matter.
While public health is my passion, it is not my day job. I currently work full-time as a drug dealer, yet I still find the time in my busy schedule to write to my real or imaginary audience. So here goes. The news story in public health I want to address today is this one:
California leads the nation with first ban on six harmful food dyes in school food.
To briefly overview this news article, Gavin Newsom signed the California School Food Safety Act that bans the use of Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2 and Green Dye No. 3 from being served in foods at public schools within the state of California. These dyes have been linked to several negative outcomes, such as neurobehavioral problems, hyperactivity, and stunted development. It is also known that children have a lower tolerance when it comes to chemical exposure. They are especially vulnerable to these additives and colorants because their bodies are still growing and developing.
There is much research and evidence to support that these chemicals can harm children’s bodies and also interfere with their ability to learn. For example, research from 2021 found that numerous dyes and colorants were associated with behavioral issues and decreased attention in young students. I think we can all agree that children deserve better. They deserve nutritious and wholesome foods that will optimize their learning rather than diminish it.
Personally, I think this newly signed act is a really great thing for the health and well-being of children attending school in the state of California. This law is not only a great way to protect children from hazardous chemicals that can cause harm to their brains and bodies, but it also sends an influential message to food manufacturers in the U.S.
This piece of recent news brings to light a discussion that needs to be had in the U.S. Hopefully; this can inspire food manufacturing companies to stop using harmful additives and further consider the health, safety, and quality of the foods they serve to the public. I think this piece of legislation also encourages the federal government to invest more time, energy, and money into protecting Americans from all the other dangerous chemicals present in our food supply.
If you didn’t already know, the FDA doesn’t do a phenomenal job at regulating additives that make it into the food that makes it onto our shelves. Research has been available for years that shows that synthetic food dyes pose a risk to our health. Yet, for some reason, unbeknownst to me, the FDA simply does not act to protect the public from these toxic chemicals and the health consequences of years and years of their consumption. If you’re thinking, “Wow, this random bitch on the internet really has a bone to pick with the FDA,” you’d sure as hell be right.
First of all, there are quite literally thousands of chemicals that are allowed to be added to foods sold in the U.S. Nearly all of these chemicals are unpronounceable. Another interesting fact is that a lot of these chemicals have not been re-evaluated by the FDA since the 80’s. The thing about science, research, and medicine is that it’s evolved since the 80’s. Clearly, America has some work to do.
This article outlined the six dyes banned by the California School Food Safety Act, so let’s discuss those. Red 40 hasn’t been reevaluated for health risks since the early 70s, while in the meantime, new research has shed light on its capacity to stunt brain development in children. Research has also found a correlation between Red 40 and hyperactivity and cancer.
Similarly, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 have not been evaluated since the 80s. The last year the FDA reviewed Blue 1 was 1969, while Blue 2 was last reviewed in 1983. Lastly, Green 3 hasn’t been looked at by the FDA since 1982.
I think when it comes to taking steps in the right direction to protect the health and well-being of not only students but all Americans from toxic dyes and chemical exposures, California is doing better than most. As an example to support this, last year, Newsom also signed the California Food Safety Act, which banned potassium bromate, propylparaben, brominated vegetable oil, and Red 3 in all foods manufactured, delivered, and sold in California. The state continues to take action to protect the health of its citizens against toxic chemicals. In my last post, I mentioned that food is such a beautiful thing, and it is a blessing to have the means to nourish our bodies. Not everyone has that luxury. We all deserve the right to fuel ourselves with food that is enjoyable and free from additives that do the exact opposite of what food is intended to do—nourish us. As someone who is a strong advocate for food freedom, I think that making all foods truly wholesome in their ingredients makes it easier for us to sincerely respect our bodies and the choices we want to make regarding food.
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2024/09/california-leads-nation-first-ban-six-harmful-food-dyes-school