If a bill gets passed that was proposed by California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and turned into a law for the state of California, then a bunch of candy and snacks at the local markets for the state could be made to change certain ingredients in their recipes for the health of the population. A month ago, Gabriel introduced a new bill by the name of AB 418. This potential law would ban foods that contain chemicals that have been linked to health concerns including decreased immune response, forms of hyperactivity developing in young children, and an increased risk of developing cancer.
This bill could be a first for the United States. It would make California the very first state in the union to ban the sale and manufacture of the specific chemicals listed in AB 418 such as red dye Number three. This particular chemical is already banned in the European Union. If you live in the United States, red dye Number 3 and other chemicals mentioned in AB 418 can be found in Skittles, Ding Dongs (with red heart sprinkles), and a whole bunch of other snack foods you can find at your local supermarket or your local gas station.
To be clear, this would not necessarily ban Skittles in California. It would simply mean that Skittles would have to use the same formula that they use in Europe when selling to Californians instead of using the formula with potentially toxic ingredients that they use in other parts of America. This would also apply to other snacks that use the ingredients in AB 418: they can avoid being banned by changing the formula.
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