New York State Moves To Ban Substances To Protect Public Health

New York has joined a number of states across the country in an effort to ban certain additives from our food supply. The move comes with bipartisan support, as lawmakers look to outlaw certain substances they say can greatly harm public health.

New York State Moves To Ban Substances To Protect Public Health

The Guardian reports that New York lawmakers are pushing food companies to "eliminate synthetic dyes and chemical additives from their products". The proposed law would ban "seven dyes from food sold or served in public schools and would ban statewide sales of foods with Red 3 Dye and two other food additives", according to information posted at The Guardian.

CBS reports that at least one pharmacology expert believes the ban would be in the "best interest of public health", as they strongly believe there is "evidence for almost all of them of instigating or being correlated with behavioral difficulties in children".

See Also: New York State Lawmaker Proposes Ban On "Highly Addictive" Product

The new law in New York would also force food companies to disclose what they refer to as “secret” food ingredients to the public that have been allowed under a current FDA standard known as Generally Recognized As Safe.

In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned Red Number 3  in food products and ingestible drugs, according to the University of Utah Health.

Many of the states, including New York, that are looking to ban the additives are backing newly appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr's Make America Healthy Again initiative. However, The Guardian reports that some in the food industry have pushed back, citing significantly higher food prices, and far less accessibility for the people in the states that pass the ban.