Clay Duda/JJIE

Many of these candies are sold at our school store as well as vending machines around the school. 

In recent news, California is banning four ingredients that are linked to different types of cancers, which are brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3. The four ingredients can be found in many foods, like juices, candies, and even some fruits. Many of these candies are sold at our school store as well as vending machines around the school. 

These ingredients aren’t just linked to cancers but an array of diseases as well. California is the first U.S. state to take action. However, dozens of countries have already banned the distribution, manufacturing, and sale of foods and beverages with these ingredients. 

There are many different foods and products with combinations of these elements, meaning that not everything containing them will suddenly disappear from store shelves. If companies want to continue selling their stock to California, they will have to adjust their recipes to fit the California standard. 

Many different food items contain these harmful chemicals, like Skittles, Peeps, Mountain Dew, Little Bites, and Fruit by the Foot.

The new laws being created by California will be set into place by 2027 to provide enough time for companies to change their recipes. It is anticipated that New York will soon take action against the production and distribution of these chemicals in different foods. 

To avoid any form of contamination from these ingredients, steer clear of the foods listed above as soon as possible and be on the lookout for their new recipes in stores and in our school vending machines.