Lawmakers, Advocates Rally For Landmark State Bill to Ban Harmful Food Additives and Protect Children's Health

ALBANY, NY (06/03/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, lawmakers, public health experts, and advocates joined the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in urging swift passage of the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (A1556C/S1239C), legislation that would ban the use of several harmful food additives and bring new transparency requirements to chemical use in food products sold in New York. The bill has already advanced to the Senate floor and is actively moving through the Assembly where it awaits placement on the Codes Committee agenda.

Watch a recording of the press conference here.

The legislation targets three widely used additives - Red No. 3, potassium bromate, and propylparaben - all of which have been linked to serious health concerns, including cancer and hormone disruption. The bill also requires manufacturers to disclose safety data for chemicals that have bypassed the FDA's formal safety review, closing a federal loophole that allows companies to self-certify their ingredients as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) without adequate oversight.

As seen in every state where regulation has arisen, industry will always push back on any regulation. Public safety of New Yorkers is in the hands of the legislature. As FDA officials continue to operate in a regulatory vacuum - with officials admitting they lack the information to confirm the safety of many food chemicals already on shelves - state-level action is gaining momentum.

Advocates emphasized that the proposed legislation would protect children and align New York's laws with global food safety standards. Many of the additives targeted by the bill are already banned in the European Union due to strong evidence of health risks, particularly for children.

"With the FDA's confession that they can't even vouch for the safety of the additives in our foods, consumers nationwide are more vulnerable than ever before," said Jensen Jose, CSPI Regulatory Counsel. "The GRAS loophole already gives companies far too much room to sneak dangerous chemicals into food products. It's going to take decisive action at the state level to protect New Yorkers and their health, especially as industry groups falsely attempt to position their practices as harmless. Families deserve to know that the food they put on their tables is safe - not riddled with chemicals known to cause children harm. We urge the Assembly to join the full Legislature in passing this bill before session ends."

"In an era of federal inaction, addressing chemical additives that are harmful to children should be a priority for all of us," said Dr. Steven Goldstein, Chapter 2 Environmental Health and Climate Change Committee Chair of the New York State American Academy of Pediatrics. "With long lifespans ahead of them, children deserve pure, unadulterated foods that nourish their bodies and development. Pediatricians across our state support the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act because we know the threats these additives pose to children's futures. It's time we get unsafe chemicals out of our foods and create a healthier, safer environment for New York children. We urge Albany lawmakers to pass the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act without delay."

"There is a rapidly growing recognition among Americans that for decades much of our food is contributing to our declining health and rising healthcare costs. At a time when funding for healthcare is being slashed it is more critical than ever that we focus on prevention and that starts with the food we eat," said Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles, cosponsor of the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act. "The Food Safety & Transparency Act will ban three known toxic chemicals joining a number of states taking this important step to restrict toxins in our food. With this bill passage, NY will also join other states taking the next step beyond the game of whack-a-mole restricting one toxic food chemical at a time and instead require companies to disclose the chemicals in our foods." She stated. "We deserve to know what is in our food. This right should not be stripped from us simply because the federal government has not taken proper steps to protect our food supply. Our bodies should not be used as trash cans for the profit of corporate food manufacturers and chemical companies."

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