Oklahoma may soon become a national leader in food safety with its newly proposed Senate Bill 4, which would ban several synthetic additives, including aspartame.
If passed, the law would go into effect on November 1 and prohibit the manufacturing, sale, brewing, and distribution of products that contain specific dyes and chemicals.
These regulations reflect the growing global concerns about artificial food additives and their potential health risks.
The Hit List
In addition to aspartame, additional chemicals and dyes include:
- Azodicarbonamide and brominated vegetable oil
- Blue dyes 1 & 2, green dye 3, red dyes 3 & 40, and yellow dyes 5 & 6
- Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene
- Ethylene dichloride and methylene chloride
- Potassium bromate, propyl gallate, and propylparaben
- Sodium benzoate and sodium nitrate
- Titanium dioxide and trichloroethylene
The push to remove these substances from the food supply follows increasing scientific evidence linking them to harmful health effects.
Potential Risks
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans in 2023, citing studies that suggest a connection to cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even weight gain despite it being marketed as a “low-calorie” sweetener.
Julie Chapon, the co-founder of the food safety advocacy group Yuka, lauded the effort.
“The Oklahoma Legislature’s initiative to ban harmful additives like aspartame sends a powerful message that public health must come first,” Chapon told The Food Institute.
“We applaud Oklahoma’s leadership and urge policymakers around the world to follow suit. Consumers deserve transparency and safer food choices. Together, we can hold producers accountable and protect public health.”
European Parallels
Oklahoma’s proposed legislation echoes a broader global movement and bears similarities to efforts that are underway in the European Union, where food safety advocates are demanding a ban on aspartame and other controversial additives.
In partnership with Foodwatch and the French League Against Cancer, Yuka launched a petition calling for an aspartame ban, which has already garnered over 230,000 signatures.
The petition argues that the additive’s health risks outweigh any potential perks and urges policymakers to take immediate action.
“Our users have shown that informed consumers can drive meaningful change,” Chapon emphasized. “95% report avoiding products with controversial additives thanks to Yuka.”
These international efforts coupled with Oklahoma’s initiative highlight a growing consensus that many artificial food additives should be reconsidered.
Local Impacts
While the proposed ban could cause some short-term disruptions for local businesses, many have already begun preparing for the shift.
Randy Page, the owner of Tulsa-based Cricket and Fig Chocolate, said he supports the bill because it aligns with broader consumer preferences for natural ingredients.
“I just absolutely think we as people have changed so much in my lifetime, and I’ve got to believe that a lot of it has come from a combination of our culture’s reliance on pharmaceuticals and on our food chain and the food that we’re putting in our bodies and in our children’s bodies,” Page told News 9.
Page acknowledged that his company would need to update its own ingredient lists if the measure comes to pass.
“There are some artificial colorings in those bright, beautiful colors that we put on the outside of our chocolates,” Page admitted.
However, Page said they’ve already begun to move away from artificial food additives and that the bill would simply expedite the process.
“That same company that we buy [from], the ones we’re using that are artificial, makes a line of natural products, and from what I see, the price is about the same,” he said.
The Food Institute Podcast
This Episode is Sponsored by: City National Bank
How are macro-economic factors and changing consumer preferences impacting the natural grocery sector? City National Bank’s Justin D’Affronte steps in as guest host as he speaks with Mother’s Market CEO Dorothy Carlow about inflation, tariffs, consumer preferences, and more.
