What Is California’s New ‘Skittles Ban’ Law?
Contrary to belief, Governor Gavin Newsom’s law signed on Saturday does not ban the popular snack candy known as Skittles. This new bill will prohibit the manufacture and sale of four chemicals used in as many as 12,000 food products.
Due to this bill, California is now the first state in the nation to ban the use of the four food additives. According to USA Today, the ban includes various cereals, sodas, and candies. Following the “Skittles ban,” red dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben will be prohibited from use.
A bill that became known as the 'Skittle ban' is now California law. Here's what it does: https://t.co/YeXNn7VulY— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 10, 2023
These chemicals are commonly used in snacks like Peeps, Brach’s candy corn, and Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies. Newsom’s new bill has caused some confusion as a previous version of this bill would have banned titanium dioxide, a chemical found in Skittles candy.
Although titanium dioxide is no longer banned, the “Skittles ban” arises once again with viral social media posts falsely claiming that California will ban Skittles by 2027.
Rest assured, Skittles will remain unaffected by the ban. The law takes effect in 2027 for companies to reformulate products to exclude the banned chemicals.
Skittles Shake Up Social Media
Daily Loud posted on X, “California will officially ban Skittles and other candies from the state starting 2027.” Due to the large following of the account, the misinformed post was liked more than 82,100 times and viewed more than 20.4 million times.
California will officially ban Skittles and other candies from the state starting 2027 as Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill AB 418, also known as The California Food Safety Act.
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) October 10, 2023
The bill targets food products that contain the substances brominated vegetable oil, potassium… pic.twitter.com/zzLGp3vyel
The news of this ban has even caught celebrity attention. Television host Mario Lopez reposted a false claim that California will ban Skittles. This post stated, “Crime is through the roof, worst drug epidemic ever & homelessness at an all time [sic] high in CA… Let’s focus on Skittles.” This statement highlights the devastating issues California has yet to deal with but is instead allegedly preoccupied with candy.
Crime is through the roof, worst drug epidemic ever & homelessness at an all time high in CA… Let’s focus on Skittles pic.twitter.com/ohWQcUcQjf
— Mario Lopez (@mariolopezviva) October 10, 2023
This isn’t the first time Governor Newsom has enacted a bill that caught attention on social media. According to a post on X in 2021, “California became the first state to make stealthing, the act of removing a condom without consent during intercourse, illegal after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law.”
