New York’s iconic pizza and bagels may soon taste a little different as lawmakers move to strip out additives that can cause cancer and other health problems.
The state legislature passed The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act on April 21, which targets potassium bromate — a chemical often used in flour to help dough rise higher and look whiter — along with Red 3 and propylparaben.
Potassium bromate can cause cancer and kidney damage, while the others can cause cancer, behavioral issues in children and hormone and reproductive harm, according to the bill.
The measure now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who could make New York one of the latest places to crack down on the additives commonly found in everything from pizza and bagels to processed foods.
“While the use of food additives to enhance the shelf life, taste, or texture of various commercial food products is nothing new, the science behind the health effects of increased consumption of such additives is shedding new light on just how dangerous some of them can be,” the bill stated.
“This legislation protects New Yorkers from three of the most pervasive and harmful food additives.”
State Sen. Cordell Cleare, who sponsored the measure, told People that the reasoning behind the potential ban is its link to cancer.
“I strongly support the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act because any substance that is linked to cancer has no place in our food, period,” Cleare said.
“Other countries have banned potassium bromate without any diminution in the quality of flour-based products and the same will happen in New York.”
The proposal mirrors efforts elsewhere.
California passed a similar law in 2023, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, targeting additives found in cereals, candy and soft drinks.
The UK also banned the substances and outlawed potassium bromate in 1990 after studies found it caused cancer in lab animals, and the European Union also bans them.
If signed, the New York law would prohibit the manufacture and sale of foods containing the additives and block companies from relying on federal “Generally Recognized as Safe” standards as a defense.
It would also require manufacturers to disclose those ingredients publicly.
“New Yorkers deserve to know what they are consuming,” the bill states.
“This legislation allows New Yorkers to know what they are consuming and make health conscious decisions as consumers by requiring that companies who currently keep their GRAS confidential to report these ingredients.”
The bill also targets school food, banning items containing Red 3, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 during the school day, with some exceptions for off-campus or after-hours sales.
Small businesses would get a three-year grace period before the rules take effect.
