On November 8, K-12 Dive quoted Claudia Lewis and Laura Rich in an article, California law bans food dyes in school meals. According to the article, beginning December 31, 2027, California schools must ensure that school meals do not contain the synthetic dyes Blue 1 and 2, Green 3, Yellow 5 and 6, and Red 3 and 40.
While 2027 may sound far away, Laura Rich, a legal counsel focused on FDA issues at Venable LLP, encourages schools to have these conversations sooner rather than later. Deciding whether to choose different suppliers, or verifying whether manufacturers can switch out the banned additives in their products, can take time, Rich noted.
“Ingredients are on everyone’s mind,” said Venable partner Claudia Lewis, who specializes in food and drug law. Lewis explained that while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates ingredients and additives at the federal level, some states feel the FDA is “moving too slowly” and have taken it upon themselves to push legislative efforts.
Following California’s lead, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington state have pending legislation that would ban additives like brominated vegetable oil and potassium bromate. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also recently updated its school nutrition standards to include limits on added sugars and sodium.
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