Persellin, K. (2023, June 22). California bill to Ban Food Chemicals is a win for environmental justice. Environmental Working Group. https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2023/06/california-bill-ban-food-chemicals-win-environmental-justice
California’s Assembly Bill 418 seeks to ban five chemicals commonly used in highly processed foods, which lower-income and colored communities have unequal exposure to; due to greater consumption of packaged foods containing these chemicals and lack of access to healthier alternatives. Attributable to long-term systemic racism and connected inequities, dollar stores and convenience marts containing food with these chemicals have traditionally been overly concentrated near or within low-income communities. These chemicals have also been linked to many health problems such as cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity.
This article discusses an important environmental science and justice issue regarding a proposed ban on certain chemicals used in processed foods in California, which relates to environmental science due to its subject of environmental policy, and public equity and health. Overall, I fully support the bill’s aim to improve food safety equitably. Banning proven harmful additives from the food system, in addition to addressing root causes of unequal access to nutrition, could produce significant long-term benefits for human and environmental wellbeing.
Thank you for sharing information about California’s Assembly Bill 418 and its public health and environmental justice implications. What specific actions or measures should be taken to address the root causes of unequal access to nutrition and ensure equitable access to healthier food options, especially for communities that have traditionally been disproportionately affected by these issues?
Thank you for reading my post. We can implement policies to improve food environments, increase education and awareness about food, make food more available and address transportation barriers to ensure equitable access to healthier food options.
Wow! It’s great that certain harmful chemicals are being banned from our foods. I completely agree with you that it’s promoting safety in our food system. What specific long-term effects do you think could arise from this? One I hope happens is fewer harmful diseases occurring within our population!
Thank you for reading my post. A few longterm effects that may arise from this are improved public health, stimulated innovation, and enhanced consumer trust.