Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill banning the school sale of foods with six synthetic dyes that give them unnaturally vibrant colors. And so, starting December 2027, snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and M&M’s will need new recipes if they want to remain on campuses. Supporters of the new rule cite concerns about the development and behavioral effects on students.
The new law specifically targets Blue 1 and 2, Green 3, Red 40, and Yellow 5 and 6. These dyes are often found in foods filled with additional synthetic ingredients, says Asa Bradman, chair of the Department of Public Health at UC Merced.
In 2021, Bradman and his team dove into the relationship between synthetic food dyes and childhood development, reviewing placebo, controlled, and blind studies. They found that kids who consumed the food dyes experienced changes in behavior such as hyperactivity, which are often seen in ADHD.
“There's been an explosion of these behavioral challenges in kids. And there's a lot of evidence that some environmental exposures — in this case, we're talking about food dyes, but other chemicals as well, like lead and other chemicals — have been associated with behavior changes. We're talking about behavior that's beyond what would be the normal excitement and activity of a … child, but puts them over the edge, in some cases, into a category that would perhaps make it more difficult for them to thrive.”
Bradman says the new law’s goal isn’t to take away certain foods from children, or tell families what they can or cannot eat.
“What it does is that it directs schools to not sanction foods that we know are contributing to diet-related illness in our young population. Also, when we think about these food diets, it's important to consider short-term and long-term exposures. Having a pink ice cream cone at a birthday party or a cupcake is a lot different, say, than if you're drinking [a] juice beverage every day that contains these food dyes.”
He adds, “The occasional exposure versus chronic exposure is really important. And by keeping them out of schools, I think we're saying, as an education institution, the school wants to promote healthy foods.”
It's unclear whether the childhood changes stemming from food dyes were found in all kids, but Bradman says some evidence shows that certain kids might have been more affected by them. More research is needed however to understand the impacts.
Meanwhile, Bradman says it is crucial to find other options. “There's alternatives to these particular synthetic food dyes in places like Whole Foods, I think Trader Joe's. They sell many colorful products that don't contain these artificial food colors. And I think it's important to realize that we can achieve the festive appearances of treats and foods, and avoid and minimize the use of these synthetic dyes.”