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California Artificial Color Ban: Science or Sentiment?

The need for science and FDA oversight, and not perception, to guide regulation was a key takeaway from a discussion among panelists during an IFT webinar on artificial colors.
school lunch tray
Mary Beth Nierengarten

Food Technology Magazine

By the end of 2027, school lunches in California must no longer include any product that contains the artificial food colors Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3. It is the first legislation of its kind in the United States to ban artificial colors in food and beverage products, and similar bills are pending in other states.

Consumer concerns are driving the legislation. The problem. Both consumer concerns and state legislative actions are based on perceptions, according to the panelists. The reality is that these color additives continue to be approved by the U.

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Authors

  • Mary Beth Nierengarten

Categories

  • Food Business Trends

  • Consumer and Marketplace Trends

  • Food Product Development

  • Food Ingredients and Additives

  • Food Policy

  • Food Laws and Regulations

  • Colors

  • Food Technology Magazine