New Texas law draws attention to 44 ingredients

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Texas Governor Greg Abbott on June 22 signed Senate Bill No. 25, which requires food products to have a warning label if they include ingredients not recommended for human consumption in certain other countries. The law lists 44 ingredients, including petroleum-based synthetic food dyes, chemical preservatives and interesterified oils. The law becomes effective on Sept. 1.

The label should state, “Warning: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union or the United Kingdom."

The attorney general may seek an injunction if a manufacturer violates the law. In addition, the attorney general may request the imposition of a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $50,000 per day for each distinct food product in violation and an order requiring reimbursement to the state of Texas the reasonable value of investigating and bringing an enforcement action for a violation.

“Texas is leading the way to make America healthy again!” Lois Kolkhorst, a state senator from Texas, wrote on the social media platform X.

The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill No. 25 on March 12 by a vote of 31-0. Then the Senate on May 28 concurred in Texas House amendments by a vote of 31-0.

The US Food and Drug Administration wants to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply by the end of 2026. They are Citrus Red No. 2, Orange B, Green No. 3, Red No. 3 and No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and No. 6, and Blue No. 1 and No. 2. The Texas law includes those colors as well as titanium dioxide, which is used for white coloring, and Red No. 4. Oils in the law include interesterified palm oil and interesterified soybean oil. Preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).

The 44 ingredients are: