ALBANY, N.Y. – On Thursday, New Yorkers moved a step closer to a safer food supply, after the New York State Senate successfully passed a bill to get toxic chemicals out of food.
The New York Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would ban or regulate use of three harmful chemicals – potassium bromate, propyl paraben and Red Dye No. 3 – from food manufactured, distributed or sold in the Empire State. The bill will next be considered by the Assembly Standing Committee on Codes.
The Environmental Working Group is supporting the bill, which was introduced by state Sen. Brian Kavanagh (D-District 27) and Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles (D-District 125).
If enacted, the bill would also give consumers, public health professionals, and the Food and Drug Administration access to important safety information, with a first-in-the-nation requirement for food and chemical companies to demonstrate the safety of what’s in their products.
Companies would be required to prove the safety of chemicals that have been exempt from close scrutiny because of the “generally recognized as safe” regulatory loophole. That evidence would have to appear in a publicly available food chemical safety database.
The bill follows on the heels of a landmark California law that bans four harmful chemicals, including those in the New York bill, from food manufactured, delivered and sold in the state.
Other states have introduced or passed similar legislation. And the FDA announced in January that it will ban the use of Red 3 in food.
The following is a statement from Jessica Hernandez, EWG’s policy director for government affairs:
This bill takes a vital step in protecting New Yorkers from harmful chemicals in their food and sets a precedent for improving food safety by increasing transparency about what is in our food nationwide.
We all deserve to know what’s in the food we eat and feed to our families. In the absence of robust federal action, states like New York must lead the way in protecting consumers and children from food additives linked to health risks.
We commend Sen. Kavanagh and Assemblymember Kelles for their leadership and commitment to protecting public health and making sure our food is safe.
This is a win both for the health of all New Yorkers and for the rest of the country.
###
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
