The proposed legislation would prohibit school cafeterias from serving foods with Red 40 and six other chemicals associated with potential health and behavioral issues.
A state legislator introduced a first-of-its-kind bill Tuesday that would ban seven additives from the foods that are served in California’s public schools.
Assembly Bill 2316 would prohibit school cafeterias from offering foods containing six artificial food dyes that have been linked to hyperactivity and behavioral issues in some children. It would also outlaw titanium dioxide, a whitening agent used in candies and other products that is banned by the European Union because of concerns that it is potentially genotoxic, meaning it may damage DNA and cause cancer.
The bill, which was first shared with NBC News, would affect certain cereals, condiments and baked goods, among other foods, and it would make California the first state to ban the additives from schools. It was introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel.
I looked this up a little while ago because a student had a note in their file that they are to avoid red 40 due to behavioral changes. I think what I gathered is that there is maybe some evidence but nothing has been researched thoroughly to make any real determination. Here’s the conclusion of a study: “ Conclusions: A restriction diet benefits some children with ADHD. Effects of food colors were notable were but susceptible to publication bias or were derived from small, nongeneralizable samples. Renewed investigation of diet and ADHD is warranted.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22176942/