The West Virginia legislature passed a bill that bans synthetic dyes in foods. The bill will now head to Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey’s desk.
The bill, House Bill 2354, aims to ban the “sale of any food product in the state that includes the dyes Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3.”
Senate Health Chairwoman Laura Wakim Chapman, a Republican, told WV Metro News, “This [is] probably the most important bill that we will vote on in our entire careers.” She added: “Remember this day, because this will be the start of making our state and our children healthier. This bill, if signed into law, will put us at the forefront of foods food safety in West Virginia.”
The bill has been condemned by the National Confectioners Association. In a statement sent to WOWK, the group claimed the measure would “make food significantly more expensive for and significantly less accessible to people in West Virginia in the current environment. There is a role for state legislators and public health officials to play in the ongoing conversation about food additives, but – as we have been saying for years – FDA is the rightful national regulatory decision maker and leader in food safety.”
“Food safety is the number one priority for U.S. confectionery companies, and we will continue to follow and comply with FDA’s guidance and safety standards,” the group said. “Our consumers and everyone in the food industry want and expect a strong FDA, and a consistent, science-based national regulatory framework.”
A similar bill aims to ban certain food dyes from West Virginia schools.
Under Senate Bill 545, food additives such as Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 are to be “deemed unsafe and shall not be permitted as an ingredient in any meal served in a school nutrition program.”
