In a big win for kids’ health (and honestly, for common sense), several U.S. states have started banning certain harmful food additives from school cafeterias. You know, the brightly colored stuff that makes cereal and snacks look fun but comes with a side of potential behavioral issues and other health risks? Yeah, those.

This wave of reform is part of a growing movement to clean up what’s being served to kids every day—and it’s getting an extra push thanks to the new presidential administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. His focus on food safety and public health transparency has inspired a renewed look at what kids are actually eating at school.

California Leads the Way

California kicked things off in a big way. In September 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California School Food Safety Act, which bans six synthetic dyes from school food: Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, Blue 1 and 2, and Green 3. These dyes have been linked to neurobehavioral issues in some children, including attention problems. Not great for a learning environment!

This was a major first step in shifting school meals away from artificial additives and toward safer options.
(Source: Consumer Reports Advocacy)

West Virginia Takes It Even Further

West Virginia didn’t just copy California—they leveled up. In March 2025, Governor Patrick Morrisey signed House Bill 2354, banning seven dyes, including Red 3 (which California’s ban didn’t touch). The law starts with school cafeterias in August 2025 and expands to all retail food sales by 2028.

This is one of the most comprehensive bans in the country, and it's all about protecting kids from long-term exposure to harmful additives that really have no business being in "food" in the first place.
(Source: Food & Wine)

Arizona Gets Serious About Ultra-Processed Foods

In Arizona, lawmakers are working on House Bill 2164, also called the Arizona Healthy Schools Act. This one goes beyond just dyes and targets ultra-processed foods with additives like potassium bromate, titanium dioxide, and brominated vegetable oil—stuff that’s banned in the EU but somehow still shows up in American school lunches.

It’s gotten bipartisan support (a rare sight these days), and it reflects a growing understanding that better food means better focus, better moods, and overall healthier kids.
(Source: AZ Free News)

New York’s Transparency Push

Meanwhile in New York, lawmakers are going after the loophole that allows companies to self-certify food additives as safe without real oversight. Their proposed Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would require companies to actually disclose what’s in their food and how it’s been tested. Shocking concept, right?

This would create a new level of transparency and give parents and schools more power to make informed decisions—especially when it comes to what kids are being fed.
(Source: Food & Wine)

What About the FDA?

All of this state-level action is putting pressure on the FDA to re-evaluate its stance on food dyes and additives. A lot of the substances being banned have been approved for decades, but newer research—along with mounting public pressure—is forcing a fresh look.

Advocates are calling for national standards, and RFK Jr.’s leadership at HHS could very well be the push needed to get there. His administration is leaning into food safety as a public health issue, and states are following suit.
(Source: AP News)

The Bottom Line

This isn’t just about what’s in a bag of chips—it’s about what we’re feeding the next generation every single day. Kids deserve food that fuels their bodies and brains, not chemical cocktails that are banned in other countries. And thanks to these new laws, plus a little extra fire from the RFK Jr.-led HHS, we’re starting to see some real momentum.

Here’s hoping more states jump on the clean food train soon! Our kids deserve it!