Anna Roberts and Ray Cortopassi
1 hour ago
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A bill banning certain additives and chemicals in food has advanced through the Illinois Legislature.
On Thursday, Senate Bill 2637 passed the Senate. It will now be returned to the House.
The bill, introduced late last year by Illinois Sen. Willie Preston, aims to ban certain ingredients in candy, soda and other snacks. These additives include titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye #3.
According to the Environmental Working Group and Consumer Reports, brominated vegetable oil can be found in some sodas and sports drinks. EWG lists Mountain Dew as containing brominated vegetable oil.
Potassium bromate can be found in some packaged breads and frozen foods. Propylparaben can be found in packaged corn tortillas, baked desserts, and cake frosting. Red dye #3 can be found in some candies, baked goods, snacks, ice cream, cereals and sodas as well as some medications. The EWG lists strawberry-flavored Ensure Drinks, Strawberry Yoo Hoo, as containing red coloring #3.
Titanium dioxide is found in processed foods, including some soups and sauces. The Environmental Working Group lists keels and warheads as containing titanium dioxide as an ingredient.
The bill also calls for studies on the potential health risks of BHA and BHT, two chemicals commonly found in gum, snack foods and other common grocery products.
A statement from Preston’s office said “the measure would prohibit the use of specific and hazardous food additives in the manufacturing, delivery, distribution or sale of food products.”
The bill includes provisions allowing manufacturers and distributors to adopt safer alternatives and update their recipes by January 1, 2028. It also establishes penalties for multiple noncompliance violations.
The Illinois Manufacturers Association opposes the bill, calling it a dangerous precedent.
California has a similar ban that took effect in October. The California bill does not require products containing these ingredients to be removed from shelves, but does require manufacturers to adjust their formulas.
Some food manufacturers criticize such bills.
The National Confectioners Association released a statement Thursday in response to the bill’s passage that said, “It’s time to stop pretending that Illinois state lawmakers have the scientific expertise to take these very important regulatory decisions. Usurping the FDA’s authority does nothing more than create a patchwork of inconsistent requirements that increase food costs, create confusion around food safety, and erode consumer trust.
In early April, the Consumer Brands Association published a blog titled Food Safety Focus: Why FDA’s Pre- and Post-Market Authority Is Critical. It says in part: “At the state level, legislation creates a patchwork of laws and regulations for food ingredients, which becomes increasingly unmanageable for companies operating and manufacturing products for a national market. These state actions are occurring without regard to current scientific evidence or FDA expert opinions. It is therefore critical that FDA anticipate this recent wave of state food ingredient bans to ensure regulatory predictability and uniformity.
News Source : wgntv.com
Gn bussni
