Popular American snacks including Cheetos and Doritos could soon be banned from schools in California. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, this step comes under a new bill that aims to ban certain food products from public schools that contain artificial dyes like red and yellow. As per the lawmakers, these synthetic colours may increase various health risks including DNA damage, hyperactivity, and more.
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A report in CBS News weighs in, Cheetos varieties, including the popular and spicy Flamin' Hot version, and other chips such as Doritos include colours "red 40, yellow 5 and yellow 6 - all on the list of ingredients that would be banned if the bill is enacted". Cereals like Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles also include these yellow and red dyes as well as blue 1. That's not all. The report further states that certain soups and mac-and-cheese brands also have the risks of containing titanium dioxide, which according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "has long advocated for the banning of foods with the substance and synthetic dyes".
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Announcing the bill on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Jesse Gabriel, the author of the bill and state Assembly member, stated that the new bill aims to "protect kids from dangerous chemicals that have been linked to cancer, harm to the immune system, hyperactivity, and neurobehavioral issues."
However, a report in the New York Post reads that this is not a ban on the sale of Cheetos in California. In fact, as per the proposed law, schools would still be allowed to sell foods containing synthetic dyes, but only after 30 minutes past school hours or at events that take place off-campus.