California authorities plan to ban chemicals in popular sweets and processed foods – including Skittles, cake icing and Strawberry Nesquik – arguing they are dangerous and already banned in the European Union and other countries.
The proposed Bill aims to halt the manufacture, sale or distribution of any food product in the state containing red dye number three, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil or propylparaben, but The Washington Post notes that it’s unclear whether the Bill has enough momentum to pass.
Several food industry groups have submitted written protests against the Bill, saying: “All five of these additives have been thoroughly reviewed by the federal and state systems and many international scientific bodies, and continue to be deemed safe.”
The National Confectioners Association said in a statement that “food safety is the number one priority for US confectionery companies, and we do not use any ingredients … that do not comply with the FDA’s strictest safety standards”.
What to know
What is titanium dioxide, used in Skittles, Nerds and other sweets?
Is red dye number three dangerous?
What is potassium bromate?
What is brominated vegetable oil, and where is it used?
What is propylparaben?
Titanium dioxide is a white food colourant often used in sweets and processed foods to give a smooth texture. “The pigment can brighten other colours, making the food more vibrant and appealing, but the additive has no nutritional benefit,” says the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organisation that is pushing for the legislation.
Titanium dioxide is found in the US recipe for Skittles, but does not feature in bags of the sweets sold or consumed in Europe, since it was banned by the EU last year.
The EU said an evaluation found it could “no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive”. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said it could not exclude the possibility the additive could lead to carcinogenic effects, and that its assessment showed that “after oral ingestion, the absorption of titanium dioxide particles is low, however, they can accumulate in the body”.
In 2017, a European review published in Nature said that titanium dioxide could accumulate in the body, including a person’s bloodstream, kidney, liver and spleen.
The US Food and Drug Administration says it can be safely used for colouring foods, as long as it does not exceed 1% of the weight by food.
Some researchers have argued that current safety regulations to approve titanium dioxide were based on reviews held decades ago and should be reassessed by governments.
Callie Noakes, a spokesperson for Skittles’s parent company Mars, said: “We always follow local regulatory rules, and all of our treats and snacks are made to the very highest quality and adhere to the strictest safety standards.”
When asked about the difference in the US and European versions of Skittles, Noakes acknowledged that the “recipes vary slightly across the globe”, and that “this is largely to accommodate manufacturing capabilities, local availability of raw material, or the different taste preferences of people”.
Is red dye number three dangerous?
Red dye number three, also known as Erythrosine or E 127, is used in products including one called Hot Tamales and in Peeps marshmallows.
The production company of both, Just Born, credits the additive with providing “a distinct and recognisable colour”, adding that certified food colours are “highly regulated for purity and each batch produced must meet exacting standards and be approved by the FDA before they can be sold”.
In the EU, it is only authorised for use in certain cocktail cherries or candied cherries.
In 1990, the FDA banned the use of red dye number three in cosmetics and externally applied drugs, based on its analysis of unpublished animal research suggesting a link to thyroid cancer. The agency, though, still allows its use in thousands of foods, dietary supplements and ingested drugs.
There is no evidence that ingesting red dye number three or any other artificial food colours causes cancer in humans. Scientists, however, tend to use results of animal studies to understand possible effects in people.
The International Association of Colour Manufacturers, which represents the dye industry, defended dye safety, specifically red dye number three, pointing to its long and widespread use.
Other studies have connected several artificial dyes, including red dye number three, to hyperactivity and other behavioural problems in children.
What is potassium bromate?
Potassium bromate, often found in baked goods, has been banned in food in countries including India, Brazil, Canada and across Europe. Britain banned the flour improver in 1990 over fears the substance was a carcinogen.
The EU’s chemicals agency, meanwhile, describes the substance as “toxic if swallowed” and says it “may cause cancer”.
The FDA says it can “safely be used in the malting of barley” under certain prescribed conditions.
According to the Environmental Working Group, potassium bromate was approved for use in the US by the FDA in the 1960s, but the chemical has not been assessed since the 1970s.
In California, products containing the oxidising agent need to carry a cancer warning.
What is brominated vegetable oil, and where is it used?
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a food additive sometimes used to stop ingredients from separating and floating to the top of beverages.
It is banned as a food additive in Europe, but is still found in Sun Drop citrus soda in the United States. The FDA allows it to be used “in a small amount” but says it has “identified areas where additional information about possible health effects is needed”.
Bromine has been found to aggravate skin membranes, and drinking extremely large quantities has been linked to neurological symptoms such as memory loss and headaches, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In 2014, Coca-Cola announced it would be removing the ingredient from Powerade and the rest of its products after a Mississippi teenager’s online petition against the additive gained more than 200 000 signatures. Pepsi also removed BVO from products, including Gatorade.
What is propylparaben?
Propylparaben is a preservative used in cosmetics, and as a food additive. It is found in various baked goods, including certain cake icing brands.
The FDA says propylparaben is “generally recognised as safe” as long as it does not exceed 0.1% in food. It is not approved for use as a preservative in foods in the EU, though, after research suggested propylparaben had an impact on the reproductive system in male rats.
The Environmental Working Group says the preservative is “linked to disruptions in hormone signalling”. Some critics have argued, however, that the research on rats from the early 2000s is outdated and that European food safety regulators should review its use in food again.
During a 2005-2006 study, scientists from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found propylparaben in the urine of most of the people they tested, indicating widespread exposure to these parabens in the American population. They added, however, that “finding a measurable amount of parabens in urine does not imply that they cause an adverse health effect”.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Junk food in pregnancy linked to higher allergy risk for babies – French review
Cancer threat raised by ultra-processed foods – UK-led study
Ultra-processed food linked to cognitive decline – Brazilian study