Bipartisan legislation on Beacon Hill would eliminate certain artificial food dyes from school lunches.

The bill (S.1531 and H.2496) would ban schools from selling snacks or drinks that contain certain artificial dyes, including Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. It would apply to competitive foods and non-sweetened carbonated drinks sold during the school day. State Senator Ryan Fattman (R-Webster) and state Representative Joseph McKenna (R-Webster) filed the proposal.

Competitive foods are snacks and drinks sold outside of the regular school meal programs, such as school breakfast and lunch. That includes items from vending machines, school stores, and concession stands.

Schools could still sell these items off campus, after school hours, or at events like sporting events and fundraisers.

Candice Edwards, executive director of Health Action Massachusetts, supports the legislation, saying she thinks it would benefit students and teachers.

"Decades of research show that these artificial additives can negatively impact attention, behavior, memory, and learning — even in children without a diagnosis," Edwards told NewBostonPost via email. "When students consume synthetic dyes, teachers see more behavioral challenges and less focus in the classroom.

"This legislation is about helping all children learn in a calmer, more focused state, supporting teachers by reducing barriers to learning, and creating classrooms where every student — and educator — can thrive," she added.

Fattman expressed a similar sentiment.

"Legislation like this, similar to legislation already filed federally and in other states, is an important step forward in putting the health and well-being of our children first," he told NewBostonPost via email. "Removing toxic ingredients from food and beverages served ensures that students have access to nourishing food that doesn’t compromise their bodies and minds."

A 2021 report from the state of California, with input from the University of California Berkeley and the University of California Davis, found that artificial food dyes can cause hyperactivity and other behavior problems in some children. Federal safety limits are based on outdated research and may not protect kids’ health, the report said. It also found that children, especially from lower-income families, tend to have higher exposure to these dyes than adults.

"Federal guidelines on synthetic food dyes have remained largely unchanged for decades, and while the FDA has recently begun taking action, Massachusetts now has the opportunity to lead with modern science, compassion, and common sense — to take additional steps to ensure what our students’ eat in the school setting supports what we ask of them in the classroom," Edwards said.

Vanessa Pompei-Britt of Health Action Massachusetts also supports the legislation.

"In general, I think it’s an important first step in improving the food offered to children in Massachusetts, and it’s good to see bipartisan support for it," she told NewBostonPost via email.

The House bill has 11 co-sponsors – five Republicans and six Democrats. Meanwhile, the Senate version has six: four Republicans and two Democrats.

The measure currently sits in the state legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health.

Proponents say the change would make school food healthier and help students focus better in class. Critics say it could limit food options and restrict consumer choice.

Additionally, the food manufacturing industry typically denies the public health consensus on artificial food dyes when opposing bans on it.

“The ingredients used in America’s food supply have been rigorously studied following an objective science and risk-based evaluation process and have been demonstrated to be safe," Consumer Brands Association president Melissa Hockstad said in an April 2025 written statement defending artificial food dyes. "Removing these safe ingredients does not change the consumer packaged goods industry’s commitment to providing safe, affordable, and convenient product choices to consumers."

Major companies like General Mills, Kraft Heinz, and Nestlé have begun removing artificial dyes from many of their products in recent years, NBC reports.

Many of these same foods are already made without synthetic dyes in other countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. In those countries, concentrated fruit and vegetable juices are often used as food coloring, according to WIVB Buffalo.

McKenna could not be reached for comment on Monday or Tuesday.