State Rep. Natalie Mihalek | Pennsylvania 40th Legislative District
State Rep. Natalie Mihalek | Pennsylvania 40th Legislative District
A bipartisan legislative package aimed at banning certain chemicals from food products in Pennsylvania has been introduced by Representatives Natalie Mihalek and Melissa Shusterman. The proposed legislation seeks to address concerns over ingredients that are linked to health risks.
Rep. Natalie Mihalek stated, "The list of health issues related to poisons like Red Dye No. 3 are well documented to increase hyperactivity in children and jeopardize brain development. They also have been linked to cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration went as far as to prohibit them from use in cosmetics more than 30 years ago, but we can’t wait any longer for the feds to ban them from our food supply." She emphasized the importance of food safety, expressing gratitude towards Rep. Shusterman for her leadership on this issue.
Rep. Melissa Shusterman highlighted consumer concerns, saying, "The citizens of PA should be able to trust that the food at the grocery store is safe. Worrying about health risks contained in the additives in foods, and scouring the fine print of labels, should not be something consumers have to add to their grocery lists." She expressed hope for bipartisan support for these bills.
The legislation includes a bill by Mihalek prohibiting dyes such as Red Dye No. 3 and others, while Shusterman's bill targets substances like potassium bromate and brominated vegetable oil.
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