Beyond the Rainbow: A Look at Food Dyes in California's Schools
Could other states follow if AB 2316 passes?
There’s a recent proposal in California, led by Democratic state lawmaker Jesse Gabriel concerning the use of food dyes in school meals. The AB 2316 bill that was introduced back on March 12 targets a variety of synthetic dyes and colorants commonly found in processed foods, with the intention of prohibiting them in public school cafeterias.
Prioritizing children's health and well-being by reducing their exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in their daily diets is so important and while there are plenty of other additives and fun ingredients in these same foods this is a good start.
The additives in question are ones you probably recognize: blue 1, blue 2, red 40, and yellow 5, which are often used to enhance the visual appeal of various food products. You can even find some of these colors in condiments and pickle jars! They can also be found in brightly colored cereals and sports drinks, cake mixes, canned peas, obviously candies, chips and so much more. Safety groups are calling for stricter regulations on food additives and are citing research that shows a potential link between consumption and behavioral issues in children… particularly increased hyperactivity.
If AB 2316 passes and given the size of California's public school system and its food programs, maybe other states could follow? This could also encourage food manufactures and companies to look for alternative color options (from plants, duh!) as artificial food dyes are just added for the visual appearance and they don’t affect the actual product’s taste or nutrients. Jesse Gabriel emphasized that the goal of the legislation is not to remove products from shelves but rather to incentivize the adoption of safer alternatives. Funnily enough, as I just wrote about goldfish crackers in this post, Gabriel pointed out that Pepperidge Farm's Goldfish crackers use natural extracts for coloring instead of synthetic dyes and while that’s great and all (when it comes to colors) they also use a long list of other crappy ingredients like enriched flour, seed oil and more — I can give some credit to the goldfish makers for not using artificial food dyes though. Shameless plug in case you didn’t already know…you can make your own goldfish crackers with 6 simple, real ingredients that you might already have at home. Don’t have a fish cookie cutter like this one? Use any shape or cut them into squares to make cheese it crackers. Plus my recipe is gluten free and grain free - and NO you don’t have to be gluten free or grain free to make and enjoy them. They are a huge hit with my toddler … and my dad and my husband. I also don’t mind at all when my toddler shares them with me, too.
As this bill continues to gain attention, its supporters maintain a strong commitment to fostering healthier food environments in schools and communities across California. If it passes, AB 2316 could set a precedent for future legislative efforts that aims at all the problems of food additives and hopefully … HOPEFULLY ensures and sets the standard for the well-being of future generations.
I hope this is the beginning of a new food movement where we stop making excuses for food additives or writing them off as no big deal or saying that a little is okay in moderation. It’s not — that’s my strong stance on artificial food dyes. They are a non-negotiable for me and my family (thankfully). I do not say that to shame anyone to consumes them or allows their kids to have food dyes but my hope is that people become more educated on them over time and stop spending their hard earned money on foods with dyes. Plus there are plenty of alternatives to artificial food dyes as well so there really is no need for artificial food coloring. They might cost a brand more money and maybe they aren’t always as vibrant of as the chemical ones BUT this is when brands should take more of a stance and value PEOPLE over profit.
My favorite dye-free sprinkles (and they have food dyes too) are from Supernatural. I actually got to meet the founder of Supernatural (shoot! why didn’t we take a selfie? ugh!) Her name is Carmel and she’s doing colorful things over at Supernatural Kitchen. I’ve been using their sprinkles for years now and we have had a DM relationship for years but I got to meet her IRL and hug her for the first time at Expo West a few weeks ago. She’s such an incredible mama who sees a need for this part of the food system and is doing amazing things with her bomb diggity line of sprinkles and colorful (chocolate) chips (they have a Christmas one and a rainbow one at the moment). Recently, I wrote about nostalgia and how that affects so many people’s food choices and decisions in what they choose to feed their family.
There are snacks that I loved growing up and that are super nostalgic to me but that I refuse to feed my child (or consume myself) due to the low quality ingredients used in them. I remember eating Goldfish crackers at church (in Sunday school or youth group) and one summer in high school I ate goldfish and drank unsweetened iced tea while reading almost everyday and can still taste that combo. Nostalgia can be hard to fight sometimes and because we’re super intentional about the ingredients we consume the next best thing is making them myself. This may not be something that everyone has the time to do and that's okay but for me, because I'm unwilling to compromise on ingredients that we buy or feed our son this is what works for us.
People want their kids to be able to experience sprinkles on cookies and decorating sugar cookies or sprinkles on cakes or coloring icing etc and they compromise because their desire for nostalgia is stronger than their desire to avoid artificial food dyes. To be fair, it could be due to lack of knowledge or education on the subject (which is why I talk about why artificial food coloring is no bueno whenever I can!) but I’d say most people know that artificial food dyes aren’t good for you. They may not realize that artificial colors, preservatives and other controversial ingredients have ties to ADHD, illnesses and more. I’m a mom. I get it. I want that nostalgia for my kiddo, too but definitely not at the cost of his health and with the use of artificial food coloring. I’m so grateful for Carmel and what she’s whippin’ up over at Supernatural Kitchen!
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