It can be frustrating not to know what you're really eating when you read the ingredients label of snack food, but one artificial ingredient will soon be removed. West Virginia is looking to remove it even quicker.
According to WTRF.com, "The West Virginia Senate has passed a bill that would ban certain food dyes in the state."
It had already passed in the House, but the Senate made some amendments, so it is now going back to the House.
WTRF.com added, "If signed into law, House Bill 2354 would ban food dyes in certain products from being sold in grocery stores and school meals."
In January 2025, the FDA announced a ban on Red Dye 3, starting in 2027. The West Virginia bill will ban the dye in schools beginning in August.
There has been much debate about the health effects of Red Dye 3 and other artificial dyes.
According to PBS, because of mounting scientific evidence, California banned Red Dye 3 in 2023, but its ban will also take effect in 2027. It gives companies time to phase out the dye in their products.
While scientists haven't established a direct link to cancer, it can cause issues with thyroid hormone regulation. It stops the thyroid gland from absorbing iodine, which is vital for producing thyroid hormones. It also blocks an enzyme that converts one hormone to another hormone. This causes dysfunction in the thyroid.
Red Dye 3 can also be harmful to your brain. PBS noted, "Rat studies have found that this synthetic dye increases oxidative stress, which damages tissues, and reduces the antioxidants that control oxidative stress, impairing communication between neurons."
While WTRF.com reported that the National Confectioners Association believed that banning certain dyes in food would make them more expensive and harder for people to buy, many companies started phasing out Red Dye 3 before the bans began to be announced.
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Never 👎 For example, PBS noted that Mars announced in 2016 that it would phase out the artificial dyes from its human food products over five years. In 2024, General Mills also announced the removal of the dyes from its products.
While these bans are in the works, you can protect your family from artificial dyes by choosing food with natural dyes, and you can cook homemade meals.
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