Alabama House committee considers bill to ban certain food dyes in schools
A bill seeking to remove certain food additives from Alabama's public K-12 schools faced discussion in the House Health Committee Wednesday, with proponents citing health concerns and opponents raising issues of regulatory burden and implementation timelines.
HB 491, sponsored by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Matthews, would prohibit schools from selling or serving food items containing specific artificial colorings, including common dyes like Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5.
The committee held the bill for a vote next week to allow members to review a potential amendment.
'Europe has banned it years ago, and all we're asking is just in the lunches, what's in the schools,' Ingram said to the committee.
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Ingram argued passionately against the additives and said he doesn't 'think we ought to keep giving our kids poison.'
'Why not take a proactive approach to save a life? … we're prescribing so much medication now, it's got to be something that we're eating and something we're doing,' Ingram said to the committee.
The scope of the bill focuses specifically on food provided by schools. It would not restrict items brought from home or shared by students for events like class parties.
Alabama House bills would target some food additives
But concerns were raised about the bill's impact. Virginia Banister, executive director at Alabama Beverage Association, said the bill would create 'unnecessary regulatory burdens, cost, consumer and retailer confusion.' She also said that it would undermine the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
'HB 491 would place the state of Alabama in an unprecedented position in regulating food and beverage ingredients. That's a role currently held by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,' Banister said.
In a recent interview, Ingram indicated that a push by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to 'Make America Healthy Again' is allowing Republicans, who have historically opposed regulation, to talk about the issue. He also said that his grandchildren aren't allowed to have synthetic dyes, which led him to learn more about the issue.
Kennedy has promoted numerous controversial and unfounded views around public health issues. He has made false claims about the safety of vaccines and the impact of environmental chemicals on a child's sexual orientation or gender identity. He has also baselessly connected anti-depressant use to school shootings and has advocated for raw milk consumption despite health risks.
California banned Red Dye No. 3 in 2023 after a state report raised concerns about its link to increased youth ADHD and questioned federal safety levels for children. The FDA recently followed, announcing a Red Dye No. 3 ban in food effective in early 2027 and 2028 in drugs. Research continues on the safety of other food dyes.
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