These popular snack foods could be banned in certain states

Health

By Alexandra Klausner

Now this is a cereal killer.

Some of Americans’ favorite snacks and classic candies could be banned in several states due to cancer-causing chemicals in their ingredients. 

These foods include cereals such as Lucky Charms and Froot Loops, candies including Skittles, Nerds, M&M’s and Swedish Fish and snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Doritos. Gatorade and other sports drinks are also on notice. 

Many of the chemicals in these foods are already banned in most of Europe, and now several US states are following suit. In October, California passed the so-called Skittles Ban, which outlawed some potentially carcinogenic food chemicals: brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye No. 3. 

Potassium bromate, for example, is used to strengthen the texture of bread, but it’s also a known carcinogen in rats, and may cause kidney issues in humans. Brominated vegetable oil, which is used to help keep citrus from rising to the top in beverages, has a toxic effect on the thyroid. The ingredient was once used in Mountain Dew. This bill is set to go into effect in 2027, but only applies to California.

On March 5, lawmakers introduced two bills to protect people in New York from even more toxic chemicals in food, the Environmental Working Group reported. 

The proposed bills would ban the four chemicals that got the ax in California, plus titanium dioxide, BHA and azodicarbonamide, or ADA, which is found in certain bread products. 

Politicians in Pennsylvania are calling for the ban of colorings Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2. Illinois, New Jersey and Missouri are also considering bans of certain additives.