Illinois today took an important step toward protecting consumers from unsafe food additives with the bipartisan passage of the Illinois Food Safety Act, SB2637, in the state Senate. The bill would ban four dangerous and unnecessary additives from food sold in the state starting in 2028: brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red 3. is. I appreciate Sen. Willie Preston's leadership on this bill. And we urge the Illinois House of Representatives and Governor Pritzker to take swift action.
The Illinois Food Safety Act provides much-needed protection to consumers across Illinois. All four substances targeted by the bill are banned or severely restricted in the European Union due to health concerns, but remain federally legal in the United States. Suitable and safe alternatives are already available in the food and beverage industry, but are already being phased out from the European market.
More than 34 years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that Red 3, a synthetic food dye prohibited for use in topical drugs and cosmetics, is an animal carcinogen, but not for use in food. There wasn't. This is a clear violation. Obligations Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Red 3 is only allowed on certain types of cherries in the EU. BVO, potassium bromate, and propylparaben have been linked to cancer and toxic effects on the heart, reproductive organs, and endocrine system, so their use in food is completely banned in the EU. Despite these documented health concerns and EU regulations, the FDA has not taken action.
If the bill passes the House and is signed into law by Governor Pritzker, Illinois will become the second state after California to ban the use of these four chemicals in food. Similar bills are currently being considered in several other states.
All Americans have the right to food free of these dangerous chemicals. Similar to the California Food Safety Act, we hope that Illinois' bill will prompt other state legislatures to act quickly and spur the FDA and the food industry to take national action. Momentum is building, and industry consolidation and FDA action are long overdue.
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