West Virginia has enacted a complete ban on a number of artificial meals dyes and preservatives, positioning itself on the forefront of the “Make America Wholesome Once more” initiative championed by President Trump’s Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey signed Home Invoice 2354 into regulation on March 24, 2025, focusing on components linked to potential well being dangers like weight problems, tumors, and quite a lot of different illnesses, significantly in kids.
In a statement, Governor Morrisey thanked President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for his or her management on this problem.
“West Virginia ranks on the backside of many public well being metrics, which is why there’s no higher place to guide the Make America Wholesome Once more mission,” stated Governor Morrisey. “By eliminating dangerous chemical substances from our meals, we’re taking steps towards enhancing the well being of our residents and defending our kids from important long-term well being and studying challenges. Thanks to the Legislature, HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, and all the Trump Administration for serving to us launch this motion proper right here in West Virginia.”
The laws prohibits the usage of the next synthetic meals dyes in class diet packages beginning August 1, 2025:
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Crimson Dye No. 3
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Crimson Dye No. 40
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Yellow Dye No. 5
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Yellow Dye No. 6
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Blue Dye No. 1
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Blue Dye No. 2
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Inexperienced Dye No. 3
Moreover, the preservatives butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and propylparaben shall be banned from all meals gadgets offered within the state starting January 1, 2028. This phased method permits firms time to reformulate merchandise and mitigate potential worth will increase.
This motion displays rising concern over the well being impacts of artificial meals components. Research have linked sure synthetic dyes to neurobehavioral points in kids, reminiscent of ADD/AD-HD, prompting public well being advocates to name for stricter rules. Whereas the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has beforehand accredited quite a few colour components, current efforts goal to reassess their security. For example, the FDA plans to section out Crimson Dye No. 3 by 2027 on account of its affiliation with most cancers in animal research.
West Virginia’s laws aligns with actions taken by different states. In 2023, California banned Crimson Dye No. 3 together with different components, and a number of other states are contemplating related measures. This development underscores a nationwide push in direction of eliminating doubtlessly dangerous chemical substances from the meals provide to safeguard public well being.
Whereas some business representatives categorical considerations about potential impacts on product availability and prices, the overarching purpose stays clear: prioritizing the well being and well-being of residents, particularly kids, by decreasing publicity to questionable meals components.
In his 2006 guide Crunchy Cons, creator Rod Dreher explored the rise of a countercultural pressure inside American conservatism—one which valued natural meals, environmental stewardship, and conventional residing alongside spiritual religion and household values. These “crunchy conservatives” challenged the mainstream proper’s embrace of business consumerism, as a substitute aligning with agrarian and naturalist beliefs usually related to the left. Their affect can nonetheless be felt in debates over meals security and chemical components, the place right-leaning naturalists have more and more partnered with libertarians and health-conscious dad and mom to push again towards Massive Meals and FDA complacency—reshaping components of the conservative motion round rules of bodily integrity, clear residing, and skepticism of company and governmental assurances.
European regulators take a much more cautious method to artificial meals dyes and preservatives than the USA. Underneath EU regulation, solely approved components could also be used, and plenty of are both closely restricted or banned outright. Following a 2007 research linking a number of dyes to hyperactivity in kids, the European Union started requiring warning labels on meals containing sure artificial dyes—reminiscent of Crimson 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6—stating they “could have an antagonistic impact on exercise and a spotlight in kids.” Quite than carry the label, many producers reformulated their merchandise with pure options like beet juice or turmeric. Some dyes generally used within the U.S., like Crimson Dye No. 3 and Inexperienced Dye No. 3, are banned within the EU totally.
European meals coverage is guided by the “precautionary precept,” which prioritizes shopper security within the face of scientific uncertainty. In contrast to the U.S., which frequently permits components until conclusively confirmed harmful, the EU removes or restricts elements when well being considerations come up. This implies the identical merchandise offered by multinational manufacturers usually include synthetic dyes within the U.S., whereas their European counterparts depend on safer, pure coloring. The shift displays not simply regulatory variations however shopper expectations throughout the Atlantic—the place European consumers are extra cautious of artificial components of their meals.
The affected meals and customary gadgets that this laws impacts consists of:
Crimson Dye No. 3 (Erythrosine)
- Candies: Peeps (pink), some gumballs, some purple or pink sweet canes
- Baked Items: Cake adorning gels, some maraschino cherries
- Snacks: Sure store-brand fruit snacks
- Others: Medicines and cough syrups (as a coloring agent)
Crimson Dye No. 40 (Allura Crimson)
- Candies: Skittles, M&Ms (purple), Starburst, Swedish Fish, Bitter Patch Children
- Drinks: Gatorade Fruit Punch, Mountain Dew Code Crimson, Hawaiian Punch
- Snacks: Doritos (particularly Spicy Nacho, Flamin’ Sizzling), Cheetos
- Desserts: Strawberry or cherry-flavored Jell-O, flavored yogurts
- Cereals: Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch Berries, Trix
Yellow Dye No. 5 (Tartrazine)
- Candies: Lemonheads, Bitter Patch Children, Laffy Taffy, jelly beans
- Drinks: Mountain Dew, many lemon-lime sodas
- Snacks: Doritos, flavored popcorn, instantaneous macaroni and cheese
- Desserts: Pudding mixes, some boxed cake mixes, Jell-O Lemon
Yellow Dye No. 6 (Sundown Yellow)
- Candies: Reese’s Items, some orange jelly beans, orange Skittles
- Drinks: Orange Gatorade, Sunkist, orange Kool-Help
- Snacks: Nacho cheese chips (e.g., Doritos), Cheetos
- Desserts: Orange Jell-O, boxed cake or muffin mixes
Blue Dye No. 1 (Good Blue)
- Candies: Blue raspberry Jolly Ranchers, M&Ms (blue), Nerds
- Drinks: Blue Gatorade, Blue Powerade, Slushies
- Desserts: Blue Jell-O, frosting, cake decorations
Blue Dye No. 2 (Indigo Carmine)
- Candies: Grape-flavored candies, darkish blue jelly beans
- Drinks: Some blue or purple sports activities drinks and sodas
- Snacks: Some cereals, like Trix and Fruity Pebbles
Inexperienced Dye No. 3 (Quick Inexperienced)
- Candies: Some inexperienced jelly beans, mints, sweet canes, icing
- Desserts: Mint chocolate chip ice cream, inexperienced muffins and frostings
- Different: Used sometimes in some canned greens to reinforce colour
