CSPI, Advocates, and Lawmakers Urge Albany to Protect New Yorkers' Health While Washington Flatlines

ALBANY, NY (05/07/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), alongside New York lawmakers, community leaders, and advocates, held a press conference at the State Capitol calling on lawmakers to pass a trio of food safety bills: the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act aka CHEM Safety Bill (S1239B/A1556B) Predatory Marketing Prevention Act aka PMPA (S397/A2584), and Sodium Warning Bill (S428/A5207). With two of the three bills currently on the Senate floor, the bundle of proposed legislation aims to close gaps in food safety and transparency, particularly as Washington fails to meaningfully safeguard the nation's food supply and increase access to adequate nutrition.

A video recording of the conference will be available later today.

New Yorkers face growing health risks tied to an industrialized food system. Each year, Big Food spends billions on marketing-often targeting children and communities of color with ads for unhealthy products. These same communities, particularly in New York City, are saturated with fast-food restaurants offering menu items high in sodium, contributing to increased rates of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Simultaneously, a federal loophole allows companies to sneak harmful chemicals into their products without adequate FDA review before they land on shelves.

The bills would protect New Yorkers through the following provisions:

• Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (S1239B/A1556B) will prohibit synthetic dyes in school foods, ban three dangerous food chemicals in foods sold statewide, and require companies to disclose evidence that their ingredients are actually safe to eat (in Agriculture Committee in the Senate and in the Assembly)
• Predatory Marketing Prevention Act (S397/A2584) will restrict misleading targeted food and beverage marketing aimed at children and adolescents (on the Senate floor and in Consumer Protection Committee in the Assembly)
• Sodium Warning Bill (S428/A5207) will require clear sodium warning icons on chain restaurant menus to ensure transparency and help consumers make informed choices (on the Senate floor and in Health Committee in the Assembly)

At the event, community advocates displayed a table of "junk food" and deceptively marketed products - many with harmful additives or excessive sodium - to illustrate the urgency of legislative action. Speakers emphasized that these bills are a vital response to longstanding corporate practices that exploit vulnerable communities and undermine public health.

"New Yorkers deserve to know what's in their food and trust that what they're eating is safe - especially as our children and communities are already facing disproportionate health burdens. While federal agencies fail to act, New York has the chance to lead with science-backed policies that protect public health, rein in deceptive marketing, and make transparency the standard. This legislation is a critical step toward a safer, more equitable food system that residents can rely on," said Dr. DeAnna Nara, CSPI Campaign Manager.

"The toxic compounds that would be banned by this legislation, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye number 3 have been linked to cancer and can harm people's reproductive, thyroid and nervous systems. We must do better by protecting the health of all New Yorkers and especially children by removing these additives from our food supply. We can also improve transparency, accountability, and trust with communities by having New York State more closely monitor food additives that have not been reviewed by the FDA. This is common sense public health and food safety legislation that pediatricians fully support. This legislation will help families make better informed dietary decisions and feel safer about their food," said Charles Moon, M.D., Environmental Health & Climate Change Policy Coordinator, New York State American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Nine out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, kidney stones, enlarged heart muscle, and heart failure, to name just a few. Salt is hidden in many foods, and alerting diners to items that exceed the daily recommended limits of salt lets diners make decisions to improve their health. Too much sodium intake can lead to heart disease, and the American Heart Association is working relentlessly to change the statistic that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of all Americans. Transparency in menu labeling is a critical step toward improving public health and reducing preventable deaths. We commend lawmakers for prioritizing the health of our communities and urge swift passage of this life-saving legislation," said Neil Yager, D.O., cardiologist and president of the Capital Region Board of Directors, American Heart Association.

"Our communities have long been targeted by food and beverage companies pushing unhealthy products through deceptive and culturally tailored marketing," said Sara Kim, Program Director of Public Health and Research Center for Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York. "From children's TV to social media feeds, Asian New Yorkers are flooded with ads misrepresenting junk food as healthy. That's why we're calling on New York lawmakers to act where Washington has failed. We urge Albany to pass these essential bills and ensure that every New Yorker, regardless of zip code, can make informed choices about the food they eat."

"The Bronx is the last county in New York in terms of health because our children are growing up surrounded by junk food ads, not because they choose to - but because that's what's being pushed on them. These bills are about protecting our right to safe, healthy food and breaking the cycle of diet-related illness in communities like ours. Albany has a chance to stand with us and truly show that every child's health matters above corporate profits," said Rashaun Buchanan, Food Justice Youth Empowerment Coordinator at Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center.

"Bronx families come to Sapna NYC looking to make healthy lifestyle changes and improve their diet. But they're often led astray by deceptive marketing and poor food options in stores. New Yorkers deserve honest information about the food they're buying, that's why these bills are so essential. Albany must act now to protect our health and give our communities a fair shot at wellness," said Yeakub Ali, Community Organizer, Sapna NYC.

"New Yorkers deserve to know that the food they eat is safe and free from harmful additives that jeopardize their health and the health of their children. The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act will ban dangerous food additives and dyes linked to serious health risks and require food manufacturers to stop putting undisclosed, unregulated chemicals in food sold in New York, and provide evidence that their previously undisclosed ingredients are safe. This is a critical step toward protecting public health and ensuring accountability in our food system that will have a positive effect nationally. I'm proud to sponsor this bill alongside Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles and our colleagues in the legislature, and I'm grateful for the tireless advocacy in support of this bill from CSPI, the American Heart Association, the Environmental Working Group, Consumer Reports, pediatricians, producers of healthy food, numerous community organizations, and New Yorkers who understand that healthy food is essential for our wellbeing," said Senator Brian Kavanagh (D-27), Cosponsor of the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act.

"Limiting our daily sodium intake is a critical component in our efforts to address heart disease. I am proud to sponsor this bill because New Yorkers should be able to make informed decisions about their food choices when they visit any chain restaurant in our State. I look forward to working with Assemblymember Reyes to make this bill a reality and continue helping New Yorkers, especially in low-income communities, lead healthier lives," said Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-33), Senate Health Committee Chair and Cosponsor of the Sodium Warning Bill.

"Food can be a source of medicine, but only if it's safe and nutritious. It's common sense that we should be able to trust what we eat, that corporations are transparent about what's in our food, and that family farms producing healthy options are protected. I'm proud to support these bills, and others, as a critical step toward protecting every New Yorker's right to healthy food and making corporate accountability the standard," said Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Michelle Hinchey (D-41).

"For too long, the FDA has failed to take action to protect consumers from toxic chemicals found in our food. New Yorkers deserve protection from harmful food additives that have known health risks and consequences such as cancer, kidney and thyroid damage, endocrine disruption, and reproductive toxicity. The European Union and California have already taken action to protect the quality of their food supply from chemicals and food coloring such as potassium bromate, propylparaben, and toxic variants of red, blue, green, and yellow dye. It is time for New York to do the same. We also must close this loophole that allows food and chemical companies to irresponsibly bypass FDA approval for new food additives. Companies can add new chemicals to our foods without notifying the FDA by unilaterally declaring the substance as "Generally Recognized As Safe" or GRAS, without any oversight, transparency, or public notification. The GRAS designation was established in 1958 and was intended for food additives like sugar, vinegar, and baking soda. However, companies have exploited this loophole for almost all newly introduced chemical food additives. People look to food for nourishment. It is our responsibility that that very same food isn't making them sick," said Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles (D-125), Cosponsor of the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act.