No More Peeps in CA

[Ting Tang]

California on Saturday became the first state to ban four chemicals used in well-known candies and other foods and drinks because of their link to certain health problems - including cancer.

 

I am on board with this!   

[Harriet Vane]

What are the four chemicals and what candy products are we talking about?

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

What are the four chemicals and what candy products are we talking about?

https://fortune.com/2023/10/08/california-bans-toxic-chemicals-food-supply-ingredient-marshmallow-peeps-cancer/amp/
“

Newsom signed a law banning the red dye No. 3 chemical used as food coloring for products like Peeps, the marshmallow treat most associated with Easter. The chemical has been linked to cancer and has been banned from makeup for more than 30 years.

The law also bans brominated vegetable oil, which is used in some store brand sodas, and potassium bromate and propylparaben, two chemicals used in baked goods.

Newsom said in a signing statement that the additives addressed in the bill are already banned in various other countries. All four chemicals are already banned in foods in the European Union.
…

The law doesn’t take effect until 2027, which Newsom said should give companies plenty of time to adapt to the new rules.”

[DawnM]

I hope this banning of nasty chemicals in our foods becomes a thing.   Our food is terrible. 

[HomeAgain]

Yay!

Maybe this means we can get real Fanta here in the states, too, rather than the electrified orange sludge they pass off for it.

[MercyA]

Excellent! Now let's put the same warning on foods containing harmful dyes as they do in the EU:

 

 

[MercyA]

Every time I see this thread title, I read it as "No more friends in CA" and for a brief second wonder what happened.

[mom31257]

8 minutes ago, MercyA said:

Every time I see this thread title, I read it as "No more friends in CA" and for a brief second wonder what happened.

I did the same thing!! 

[Ting Tang]

The Western diet is the "cancer" diet, among other things.  Honestly, I hope it keeps going.  I'm sick of seeing how much sugar is added to foods you wouldn't expect sugar to be in---but there is disagreement on the dangers of sugar, too.  So that is probably far off.  At least in CA, you won't have to buy foods that contain these chemicals.  

[athena1277]

How much do you think this will affect foods in other states?  Will companies just change the ingredients for everyone or will they make some for CA standards and leave the chemicals in for other places?  
 

And do they really need so many years to make the changes?

[El...]

5 minutes ago, athena1277 said:

How much do you think this will affect foods in other states?  Will companies just change the ingredients for everyone or will they make some for CA standards and leave the chemicals in for other places?  
 

And do they really need so many years to make the changes?

I think they'll just change it all. It would be very inefficient to make special products for one (big) market, and would be complex to ship separately.

Or maybe they'll do some suing first, about the extra burden, though how they'd argue FOR chems linked to cancer in the public eye, I don't know. 

[El...]

I'm not very up on all this, and appreciate the thread. How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, DawnM said:

I hope this banning of nasty chemicals in our foods becomes a thing.   Our food is terrible. 

I do too.  I am so tired of reading labels on everything or finding out that things you have been eating or drinking are actually bad for you

[DawnM]

12 minutes ago, El... said:

I'm not very up on all this, and appreciate the thread. How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

I don't know that we have limits really, but my kids (other than the youngest) prefer healthier options.   So much so that my two in college were glad to finally have apartments and were happy to get off the meal plan.   They like cooking their own meals.   They each have a rice cooker that has a steamer on top and they make easy meals that way quite often.

[HomeAgain]

16 minutes ago, El... said:

I'm not very up on all this, and appreciate the thread. How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

We unintentionally limit it based on what we buy.  Our main diet is a whole food, mostly homemade meal sort of thing, so there's a lot of perimeter shopping.  Youngest ds has a long list of foods that he will.not.eat because he finds them to be weird: things with faces (Goldfish, Teddy Grahams), things with weird colors (flavored yogurt, jello), things with weird textures (American bread, processed cheese, applesauce), anything in a pouch or that wants him to suck through a tube......the list is extensive with him, even though he's made some strides.  He spent a lot of his younger years in Europe and was the only preschooler I knew who was horrified at coming to the States and everything about the food here.  Most of what he won't eat has been heavily processed, though, so it's not a huge loss except when it's inconvenient for me to have to prep/make things he will eat.

So, there's a lot of simple foods in our house.  Do I occasionally throw in a processed snack cake in his lunch?  Yep.  Do I care what he eats for his second dinner or lunch?  No.  He often ends up with cruddy pizza at school and whatever he can get his hands on at home, or a burrito if we're away from the house. I don't micromanage out occasional fast food or sodas, either.  The rest of us normal humans who only eat 3 meals a day tend to have a pretty good balance, though slightly more processed: oldest ds and dh eat cereal, I like peanut butter sandwiches on cheap artificially colored "honey wheat" bread.  LOL  It would be easier to make good choices with requirements for all food to be less artificial chemical filled.

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, El... said:

I'm not very up on all this, and appreciate the thread. How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

DD's reaction to food dyes is so very extreme that we don't buy any foods with artificial dyes. She is very good about avoiding them herself when she's eating out. Eating one small serving of something containing Red40 (the worst offender) makes her irritable, emotional, less functional, and generally "off" for several days. 

We also avoid artificial flavors and certain preservatives (including BHA, BHT, TBHQ, benzoates, propionates, sorbates).

She's not had a problem with sugar at all.

It was day and night when we made the switch years ago.

I don't love to cook, so I'm thankful for the increase of more natural foods on the market. I can generally find premade foods and snacks that meet these criteria.

[Ting Tang]

Yes, laws like this one will make grocery shopping a lot easier.  I know highly processed foods tend to have longevity and are "easy," but there is nothing easy about suffering the consequences of a bad diet.  

[desertflower]

4 hours ago, MercyA said:

DD's reaction to food dyes is so very extreme that we don't buy any foods with artificial dyes. She is very good about avoiding them herself when she's eating out. Eating one small serving of something containing Red40 (the worst offender) makes her irritable, emotional, less functional, and generally "off" for several days. 

We also avoid artificial flavors and certain preservatives (including BHA, BHT, TBHQ, benzoates, propionates, sorbates).

She's not had a problem with sugar at all.

It was day and night when we made the switch years ago.

I don't love to cook, so I'm thankful for the increase of more natural foods on the market. I can generally find premade foods and snacks that meet these criteria.

Where do you find natural foods that are premade?  Trader Joes?  Whole Foods? 

[Indigo Blue]

3 hours ago, desertflower said:

Where do you find natural foods that are premade?  Trader Joes?  Whole Foods? 

Do you mean like food coloring in those tiny squirt bottles? I have seen that at Whole Foods before. Also, I bet Amazon has them. 

[desertflower]

2 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

Do you mean like food coloring in those tiny squirt bottles? I have seen that at Whole Foods before. Also, I bet Amazon has them. 

I thought she meant premade food as in a whole package packed with chopped vegetables and meat. Packed with organic or with food that doesn’t have those chemicals in them. Not really sure what she meant. 

[Clarita]

10 hours ago, El... said:

How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

Really similar to what you have said here. Although, I do find that because we eat mostly homemade food that sometimes my kids don't always choose the horrible stuff. Like today my daughter (5) chose to eat 5 tangerines rather than the store bought chocolate cake. They do choose the sugary colorful stuff but occasionally they choose fruit cup instead of fries. I don't let my children get refills on the high-fructose corn syrup drinks.  

[Carrie12345]

11 hours ago, El... said:

I'm not very up on all this, and appreciate the thread. How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

We ebb and flow here.

I would love the ability to grab “junk” food with less… “junk” in it! 2 of my kids would rather go hungry than cook.

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, desertflower said:

I thought she meant premade food as in a whole package packed with chopped vegetables and meat. Packed with organic or with food that doesn’t have those chemicals in them. Not really sure what she meant. 

Please forgive me. My goodness…… when I read your question of where to find natural premade food, I read it as where do you find natural food dyes. Or something like that. 🙄 

 

So yes, if you need any “natural” food coloring, you CAN get that. Lol. 
 

I’m too tired to think about where to buy natural packaged food right now. 😂

[desertflower]

57 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Please forgive me. My goodness…… when I read your question of where to find natural premade food, I read it as where do you find natural food dyes. Or something like that. 🙄 

 

So yes, if you need any “natural” food coloring, you CAN get that. Lol. 
 

I’m too tired to think about where to buy natural packaged food right now. 😂

No worries!  🙂 

[Renai]

15 hours ago, athena1277 said:

How much do you think this will affect foods in other states?  Will companies just change the ingredients for everyone or will they make some for CA standards and leave the chemicals in for other places?  
 

And do they really need so many years to make the changes?

They really don't need that long to switch. Many of these companies are already in Europe and have a completely different recipe for the same treats. One of my ESL students works for Hersheys and is in charge of the ingredients. She was telling me how she didn't understand why the company gives US consumers crap and Europe has the good stuff. They won't change unless forced to, because it's cheaper.

[Shoeless]

15 hours ago, El... said:

I'm not very up on all this, and appreciate the thread. How much do you guys limit this stuff in your family diet? I think we eat mostly homemade food (from ingredients) at home, but we eat out a few times a week and a lot more than a few years ago, and drink quite a few sugary, colorful drinks when we're out. I think I need to reign it in. 

It would be easier to list the processed foods we still eat vs list everything we don't do:

-kraft mac and cheese (DS15 polishes off a box of this daily!)

-canned baked beans once a week

-pretzel sticks with DH's lunch every day

-diet sodas for DH

-mayo

-canned refried beans once a week

-trail mix

-deli meat for DH's lunches

-occasional splurges like Halloween candy

-bread crumbs

That's about it. It sounds hardcore, but honestly, it's not. DH is the biggest consumer of processed foods here because he's toddler-level picky. I've made some progress there, but I'm probably never going to be able to nudge him into 100% healthy eating.

If you make almost everything from scratch, you don't have to watch the salt and sugar content so carefully. There is so much salt and sugar in processed foods because it tastes like garbage without it.  If you eat mostly processed foods, you're always going to get too much sugar and salt.

Take away the processed foods, and now you can have a slice of cake or pie without too much fretting about the sugar. And I never think about food dyes because the only time we have them is in candy at the holidays, and we all prefer chocolate anyway! 

[Indigo Blue]

7 hours ago, Shoeless said:

If you make almost everything from scratch, you don't have to watch the salt and sugar content so carefully.

I’ve found this to be true, as well.

[Indigo Blue]

I guess I must be pretty hard core, I suppose. I don’t really think about it anymore. I’m so used to it now. I have to eat MORE food now in order to stay full and not lose too much weight. What I have realized is that you have to eat more of whole food, but the end result is so many more nutrients are packed into what you eat in a day. More quantity and more quality. So I have realized….oh, THIS is the way are bodies are designed to work with food. You just eat all the grains, (not breads, but instead things like quinoa, oats) fruits, and veggies you want. By default it’s less salt, sugar, and oil. You eat more of that but the weight comes off. And your nutrient intake goes way up. 
 

I feel SO much better, too. I can completely eliminate so many issues. Reflux (fat, greasy foods), mouth sores (gluten), headaches (chocolate). Though, plain chocolate isn’t bad for you. It’s amazing what happens when you change how you eat!

So, I guess I’m one of the food “weirdos”. I actually have to be, though, in order to not be sick or in pain. Why would I NOT eat to feel well?

Also, I didn’t know that about the ingredients being so different in other countries for the same products. That is so bizarre….. and awful.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[elegantlion]

Ironically, Walter Bishop of Fringe addressed this very issue over a decade ago. 

 

Snark aside, I would appreciate having no harmful additives in my food. When I was in London for 3 weeks last year, I ate very much like I do here and my body felt so much better. I have a super sensitive system. 

[Arcadia]

On 10/9/2023 at 5:59 AM, athena1277 said:

How much do you think this will affect foods in other states?  Will companies just change the ingredients for everyone or will they make some for CA standards and leave the chemicals in for other places?  
 

And do they really need so many years to make the changes?

 

12 hours ago, Renai said:

They really don't need that long to switch. Many of these companies are already in Europe and have a completely different recipe for the same treats. One of my ESL students works for Hersheys and is in charge of the ingredients. She was telling me how she didn't understand why the company gives US consumers crap and Europe has the good stuff. They won't change unless forced to, because it's cheaper.

Cost Plus World Market and many Asian supermarkets have treats/snacks from Europe. Still have to read labels but they generally have less crap.

@athena1277 The companies can just import from their factories in Europe for California if they don’t already have manufacturing here. 

[bibiche]

On 10/9/2023 at 9:12 AM, mommyoffive said:

I do too.  I am so tired of reading labels on everything or finding out that things you have been eating or drinking are actually bad for you

I am a label reader too. I really like what Mexico has done, which is to put big seals on the front of packages so you can immediately see if a product has excessive sugar, saturated fats, sodium, etc. It saves me a lot of time—no more poring over labels. I’m guessing the US would never go for something like that.

[Dmmetler]

FWIW, Aldi's house brands don't use artificial colors, and some of the additives, so can be an inexpensive way of finding "cleaner" junk food 🙂. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Dmmetler

[Corraleno]

3 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

FWIW, Aldi's house brands don't use artificial colors, and some of the additives, so can be an inexpensive way of finding "cleaner" junk food 🙂. 

Same for Trader Joe's — their house brand products do not contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, bleaching agents like potassium bromate (all their products use unbleached flour), or bovine growth hormone. Some products do include other additives like natural flavors, modified food starch, maltodextrin, etc., as well as plenty of sugar and salt.

[Clarita]

Speaking of clean junk food, I just bought some healthy trail mix from Costco. DH looked at them and said "You know it's just nuts and dried fruit, right. You could have just bought 2 types of nuts and dried cranberries, and put it in a Ziploc bag."  I kind of felt like an idiot because in that same run I also bought almonds, pistachios and dried fruit. It did not occur to me I could just put those three ingredients in a bag and call it snacks for my kids.

[Indigo Blue]

I think those organic Tasty Bites could qualify as healthy packaged food. Of course, you can get premade rice and quinoa. Seeds of Change has some boxed rice pilaf that is organic and healthy. 
 

I was coming back to talk about this, so I’m glad someone else brought it up, too. 
 

And I don’t think a n occasional Nature’s Path gluten free wild berry waffle is the worst thing you could do. They are really good. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Corraleno]

56 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

I think those organic Tasty Bites could qualify as healthy packaged food. Of course, you can get premade rice and quinoa. Seeds of Change has some boxed rice pilaf that is organic and healthy. 

My college kid who doesn't cook buys the Tasty Bite Channa Masala and Madras Lentils by the case, along with frozen brown rice and frozen chopped spinach and kale, because he can just throw those in the microwave and have a healthy, filling, WFPB meal in 5 minutes.

[MercyA]

On 10/9/2023 at 2:30 PM, desertflower said:

Where do you find natural foods that are premade?  Trader Joes?  Whole Foods? 

I am so sorry, desertflower. I mean to reply to this and then forgot!

Yes, I get a delivery of Whole Foods items every one to two weeks. I order through Amazon. We do have a Trader Joe's about 45 minutes away, but that's a bit too far for me.

Some of the things we buy at Whole Foods: soups; preservative-free bread, buns, and rolls; cookies; cereal; frozen meals; frozen veggie burgers; Tasty Bite meals. 

There are also more natural-ish items popping up at places like Walmart: granola bars, KIND bars, Annie's Mac & Cheese, microwavable rice and veggies, cereals, instant oatmeal.

Honestly I have been reading labels so long that I can do it pretty quickly now. I've learned from long experience which brands tend to have cleaner items. Places like Whole Foods make choosing easier but they are also more expensive.

[MercyA]

Interesting article from arstechnica yesterday:

Back in 1990, the FDA carefully reviewed decades' worth of animal studies on red dye No. 3 and determined that "FD&C Red No. 3 has been shown to induce cancer in appropriate tests," and is therefore "unsafe for use in externally applied drugs and externally applied cosmetics and cannot be listed."…

But, due to bureaucratic quirks, the FDA's determination only applied to cosmetics and externally applied products—even though the animal studies that proved a link to cancer were based on feeding rats the dye, not applying it to their skin or fur. The FDA had determined back in 1969 that, based on data at that time, red dye No. 3 was safe to add to foods, dietary supplements, and ingested drugs. As such, the agency permanently listed it as a safe food additive.

Where is the common sense???

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/10/common-red-food-dye-banned-in-calif-30-years-after-fda-found-cancer-risk-in-rats/?comments=1&comments-page=1

[desertflower]

10 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I am so sorry, desertflower. I mean to reply to this and then forgot!

Yes, I get a delivery of Whole Foods items every one to two weeks. I order through Amazon. We do have a Trader Joe's about 45 minutes away, but that's a bit too far for me.

Some of the things we buy at Whole Foods: soups; preservative-free bread, buns, and rolls; cookies; cereal; frozen meals; frozen veggie burgers; Tasty Bite meals. 

There are also more natural-ish items popping up at places like Walmart: granola bars, KIND bars, Annie's Mac & Cheese, microwavable rice and veggies, cereals, instant oatmeal.

Honestly I have been reading labels so long that I can do it pretty quickly now. I've learned from long experience which brands tend to have cleaner items. Places like Whole Foods make choosing easier but they are also more expensive.

Thanks for replying! 

[rebcoola]

On 10/10/2023 at 3:35 PM, Corraleno said:

Same for Trader Joe's — their house brand products do not contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, bleaching agents like potassium bromate (all their products use unbleached flour), or bovine growth hormone. Some products do include other additives like natural flavors, modified food starch, maltodextrin, etc., as well as plenty of sugar and salt.

I live in a land of no Trader Joes or Aldi's its so sad.  We have a health food store and its super expensive.

[knitgrl]

On 10/9/2023 at 9:24 AM, DawnM said:

I don't know that we have limits really, but my kids (other than the youngest) prefer healthier options.   So much so that my two in college were glad to finally have apartments and were happy to get off the meal plan.   They like cooking their own meals.   They each have a rice cooker that has a steamer on top and they make easy meals that way quite often.

I love my rice cooker! Best $30 I ever spent.