Are Skittles banned in California? What the law says and food restrictions
California has become the first state to ban red dye no.3 and other dangerous food additives. Which products will be effected and are Skittles one of them?
This week, California became the first state to have a law on the books prohibiting products containing red dye No.3, after a law passed by the state legislature in September was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom this week. The legal penalties for using the banned ingredients will not go into effect until 2027. The four-year period will give manufacturers time to adjust their recipes to comply with the new regulation.
In addition to red dye No. 3, the California Food Safety Act prohibits products containing brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and propylparaben. All of these materials are either banned in the European Union and other countries, or their use is highly regulated to ensure that if used the amounts are limited.
Red Dye No. 3 was banned in cosmetics in 1990, and many public health experts do not see any logical coherence on the side of regulators to allow it to remain in the country’s food. Today, this chemical is added to hundreds of products, including some produced by Betty Crocker and Hostess. When the bill was being debated, Assemblymember, Jesse Gabriel, pointed out that these chemicals were already prohibited in the European Union “due to scientific studies that have demonstrated significant public health harms, including increased risk of cancer, behavioral issues in children, harm to the reproductive system, and damage to the immune system.”
Applauding the decision of Gov. Newsom to sign the law, Asm. Gabriel posted on X that the “landmark bill” will “protect our kids and families from harmful chemicals.” The post also featured a bag of Skittles which prompted fans of the treat to ask the question: do they contain one of the products that will be banned?
The fate of Skittles...
Skittles are one of the products that many worry could be banned under the new law. However, the current recipe for the candy available in the United States does not contain red dye No.3 and would therefore not be affected.
However, there are still plenty of food products that do contain the dye. According to the non-profit, the Environmental Working Group, various fruit cups produced by Dole could be pulled from shelves unless changes to the ‘recipe’ are made. Additionally, the EWG, found that the dye shows up in products where many may not expect it like Woodville Farms Canadian Style Bacon, Ensure High Protein Nutrition Strawberry Shake, and Iberia Spanish Style Tomato Sauce.