Laws
Alaska school food dye law (SB 187)
Alaska is one of the latest states to act, in June 2026, with a rule limited to the meals public schools serve.
Is this dye or additive banned in your state?
FD&C Red No. 40 in Alaska, November 5, 2026
Out of school food from January 1, 2028
| FDA | Allowed by FDA Listed for use in food. FDA asked industry in April 2025 to stop using it voluntarily; its tracker names the end of 2027 as the target. No revocation order. |
| school food | Enacted, not yet in effect SB 187 (34th Legislature), from January 1, 2028. |
FD&C Red No. 40, E129, CAS 25956-17-6. School rules cover food served or sold to students, not grocery shelves. Legal status only, not health advice.
All dye and additive rules in AlaskaSenate Bill 187 became chapter 17 of the 2026 Session Laws of Alaska, with a status date of June 18, 2026 on the legislature's site. It adds section 14.03.087 to the Alaska Statutes: a public school may not serve a breakfast or lunch containing Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 or Green 3. The rule takes effect on January 1, 2028, in the middle of a school year, unlike the many laws keyed to a school year. Its scope is the meals themselves: the text does not extend to vending machines, fundraisers or snacks sold separately, and it names no preservatives. It does not apply to private schools or to food sold in stores. The seven dyes listed are the same as Virginia's, and they include Red 3, which the FDA order will already have removed from all food in January 2027, a year before the Alaska date.
How long until a state rule starts?
Alaska, SB 187 (34th Legislature) (school food)
422 days left
| Starts | January 1, 2028 |
| Covers | 7 dyes or additives |
| Status today | Enacted, not yet in effect |
Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Reading the start date
Because the law starts on January 1 rather than at the beginning of a school year, a district may have to change its menus halfway through the 2027-2028 year. The timeline places Alaska's date with the others. The status shown on the tool above is computed from the date you choose, so you can see the rule move from adopted to in effect.
The text read is the enrolled bill on the legislature's site, linked in the sources.
Alaska rules on dyes and additives
| Law | Scope | Substances | From | Status today | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB 187 (34th Legislature) | school food | Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3 | January 1, 2028 | Enacted, not yet in effect | not stated |
Each tracked substance in Alaska
| Substance | FDA | All food sold | School food | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red 40 | Allowed by FDA | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Red 3 | FDA ban ordered, not yet in effect | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Yellow 5 | Allowed by FDA | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Yellow 6 | Allowed by FDA | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Blue 1 | Allowed by FDA | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Blue 2 | Allowed by FDA | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Green 3 | Allowed by FDA | no | Enacted, not yet in effect (January 1, 2028) | no |
| Citrus Red 2 | Still allowed; FDA proposed a ban | no | no | no |
| Orange B | Banned nationwide by FDA | no | no | no |
| BVO | Banned nationwide by FDA | no | no | no |
| Potassium bromate | Allowed by FDA | no | no | no |
| Propylparaben | Allowed by FDA | no | no | no |
| Titanium dioxide | Allowed by FDA | no | no | no |
| BHA | Allowed by FDA | no | no | no |