An Illinois State Senator has proposed a law that would ban four food additives. State Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) introduced Senate Bill 2637, which seeks to ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and Red Dye No. 3. If passed, Illinois would become the second state to ban such ingredients; California passed a first-in-the-nation bill in 2023 banning the same additives. Preston indicated that he intends to work with his colleagues during the legislative session to include additional additives such as titanium dioxide. The proposed legislation also calls for studies on the health risks associated with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).
“Illinois families deserve to have access to the healthiest food options,” Preston said in a statement. “This legislation does not seek to ban any products or take away any of our favorite foods. This measure sets a precedent for consumer health and safety to encourage food manufacturers to update their recipes to use safer alternative ingredients.”
