California is one step closer to labeling dyes
California State Senator, Bob Wieckowski, has introduced SB 651, a bill which would require warning labels on products containing synthetic dyes. The label would say that synthetic dyes “may cause or worsen behavioral problems in children.”
Thanks to the efforts of Lisa Lefferts, MSPH, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Senator Wieckowski’s staff, and our own Feingold mom, Shula Edelkind, comprehensive research was collected and presented to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).
When the European Parliament passed legislation requiring warning labels on foods with certain synthetic dyes, many companies switched to natural dyes for their European versions, while continuing to put the cheaper fake dyes in the food sold in the U.S.
If California requires such labeling on foods sold in the state, it is likely that companies will replace the synthetic colorings with natural versions.