Popular American snacks like Doritos and Cheetos may soon be prohibited from California schools. This action is being taken in accordance with a new bill that seeks to prohibit specific food items that include artificial dyes like red and yellow from being taught in public schools, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The lawmakers claim that these artificial colors raise a number of health concerns, such as hyperactivity, DNA damage, and others.
A report in CBS News weighs in, Cheetos varieties, including the popular and spicy Flamin’ Hot version, and other chips such as Doritos include colours “red 40, yellow 5 and yellow 6 – all on the list of ingredients that would be banned if the bill is enacted”. Cereals like Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles also include these yellow and red dyes as well as blue 1. That’s not all. The report further states that certain soups and mac-and-cheese brands also have the risks of containing titanium dioxide, which according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “has long advocated for the banning of foods with the substance and synthetic dyes”.
Jesse Gabriel, the state Assembly member and bill author, announced the new legislation on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He claimed that the goal of the bill is to “protect kids from dangerous chemicals that have been linked to cancer, harm to the immune system, hyperactivity, and neurobehavioral issues.”
That being said, according to a New York Post report, there is no prohibition on Cheeto sales in California. Actually, under the proposed law, schools would still be permitted to sell foodstuffs containing artificial coloring—but only after school hours, or at off-campus events, and only for a 30-minute period.
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