Hold onto your taste buds, folks, as the snackapocalypse begins in the state of California with a rapture of sorts and the spicy chips geared toward the youth.
A fiery storm is brewing in Cali as lawmakers set their sights on some of your favorite snacks, including the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. But that’s not all–brace yourselves for a whirlwind of bans that could reshape lunchtime as we know it.
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) is spearheading a bold new bill aimed at ridding public schools of snacks containing artificial additives like the notorious Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. These sneaky ingredients lurk in everything from Takis to Doritos, threatening to send our taste buds into exile.
“This legislation will not ban any specific foods or products,” Gabriel assures. “But it’s a wake-up call for companies to clean up their act if they want a slice of the California school snack market. And trust me, that’s a huge slice.”
With nearly 3 million free lunches and 1.5 million free breakfasts served daily in public schools statewide, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But this isn’t California’s first dance with food bans. Last year, the Golden State made headlines by outlawing four chemicals found in beloved candies and drinks due to their health risks.
Say goodbye to Peeps as we know them–the red dye No. 3, a cancer-causing culprit, got the boot. But the crackdown doesn’t stop there. Brace yourselves, candy lovers, for the potential axing of Jolly Ranchers and Sour Patch Kids, as well as the beloved Mountain Dew.
But it’s not just the sweets taking a hit. Snack giants like Cheetos and Doritos are on notice, their vibrant hues of Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 under scrutiny. Even breakfast cereals like Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles are feeling the heat, with their rainbow of dyes threatening to vanish from school menus.
