California Lawmaker Advances Multiple Bills Restricting Additives in Food

A California legislator has introduced and passed several measures targeting additives and ultra-processed foods over the past three years. One law prohibits four additives linked by researchers to higher risks of cancer and reproductive issues. The statute took effect after opponents labeled it a "Skittles ban," though the candy remains available.

A later statute bans six artificial food dyes.

Another establishes the first state legal definition of ultra-processed foods and bars those products from school meals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration later acted on the same four additives covered by the initial California statute. The legislator, first elected in 2018, has focused on these issues since 2023.

Staff presented an office pillow shaped like a Skittles bag as an inside joke after the initial bill passed.