Flamin’ Hot Cheetos banned in California schools

Governor Gavin Newsom says new legislation means children will get food ‘without harmful, and often addictive additives’

California has banned Froot Loops cereal, hot Cheetos and other processed snacks from public schools over ADHD fears.
It makes America’s most populous state the first in the country to prohibit the use of food dyes and colourants in school meals.
Blue, green, yellow and red additives listed in the ban can be found in a wide range of products, from brightly coloured cereals like Froot Loops, to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and sports drinks to cake mix and canned peas.
Substances affected by the legislation have been linked to hyperactivity and other behavioural issues, particularly in people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
The legislation was passed by California’s state legislature and signed into law by the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, on Saturday.
“Our health is inextricably tied to the food we eat,” Mr Newsom said, “but fresh, healthy foods aren’t always available or affordable for families”.
In enacting the legislation, he said: “We are refusing to accept the status quo, and making it possible for everyone, including school kids, to access nutritious, delicious food without harmful, and often addictive additives.”
Mr Newsom endorsed legislation banning the sale of foods containing other additives last year.
Given the size of California’s market, the manufacturers of at least one product affected by the 2023 ban chose to change their formula rather than face a ban in the Golden State.
While the new ban only impacts California’s public schools, rather than shops, the state lawmaker who drafted the legislation believes it will act as an incentive for companies to change their recipes.
“We think it’s unlikely that folks are going to produce one version of their product for California and a different version for Kansas,” Jesse Gabriel told reporters last month, arguing it would help “protect kids across the United States”.
Mr Gabriel, who has ADHD and has spoken about how additives have affected him, authored both the food dye ban and the 2023 legislation prohibiting some additives.
While the legislation drew widespread cross-party support in California’s legislature, industry lobbyists have disputed reports linking the food dyes to negative health impacts.
They did succeed in convincing lawmakers to exempt titanium dioxide, which is banned by the European Union, from the legislation which comes into effect at the start of 2028.
John Hewitt, from the Consumer Brands Association, told the website Politico that “safe ingredients” were being “demonised for the purpose of advancing a political agenda”.
He warned the legislation “could cost schools and families money, limit choice and access, and create consumer confusion”.