Dyes and additives
Propylparaben: federal status and state bans
Propylparaben is a preservative found mostly in baked goods and tortillas. Its federal status rests on a decades-old GRAS affirmation, and two states moved against it.
Is this dye or additive banned in your state?
Propylparaben in California, November 5, 2026
Banned in California from January 1, 2027
| FDA | Allowed by FDA Affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) at 21 CFR 184.1670. No revocation published in the Federal Register as of November 1, 2026. |
| all food sold | Enacted, not yet in effect AB 418 (2023), from January 1, 2027. |
Propylparaben, E216, CAS 94-13-3. School rules cover food served or sold to students, not grocery shelves. Legal status only, not health advice.
All dye and additive rules in CaliforniaPropylparaben is affirmed as generally recognized as safe at 21 CFR 184.1670: no revocation or proposal to revoke it had been published by November 1, 2026. It is one of the four substances of California's Food Safety Act, which bans it in food sold in the state from January 1, 2027, and one of the nine in West Virginia's HB 2354, which would ban it from food sold there from January 1, 2028, a ban that a federal court enjoined in December 2025. Utah, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana and Iowa name it in their school rules. US labels give it by its chemical name, sometimes as propyl paraben or propyl p-hydroxybenzoate. Because it is a preservative rather than a color, laws that target dyes only leave it out, and the federal phase-out request does not mention it.
Which states keep this dye out of school food?
School-food rules naming Propylparaben
5 states
| Texas: the 2026-2027 school year (food contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2026) (in effect) | |
| Utah: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect) | |
| Louisiana: the 2028-2029 school year (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Arizona: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect) | |
| Iowa: school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) |
All food sold, not only schools: California and West Virginia.
Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
A preservative, not a color
Unlike the dyes on this site, propylparaben is used to slow mold, so in the categories tracked here the products that list it are snacks, cakes, pastries and cookies rather than candy. That is why the state school laws that target only dyes, such as Virginia's or Alaska's, leave it out, while laws built on a list of additives, such as California's Food Safety Act or Utah's HB 402, include it.
Reading the label
The checker recognizes the main spellings. Methylparaben and other parabens are not covered by these laws and are not counted here.
Propylparaben: identity and federal status
| Name in the federal rules | Propylparaben |
| Other names on labels | Propyl paraben, Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate |
| E number (EU) | E216 |
| CAS number | 94-13-3 |
| Federal rule | 21 CFR 184.1670 |
| FDA status | Affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) at 21 CFR 184.1670. No revocation published in the Federal Register as of November 1, 2026. |
State laws that name Propylparaben
| State | Law | Scope | From | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | AB 418 (2023) | all food sold | January 1, 2027 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| West Virginia | HB 2354 (2025) | all food sold | January 1, 2028 | Enacted, enforcement blocked by a court |
| Texas | SB 25 (89th Legislature, 2025) | package label | labels developed or copyrighted on or after January 1, 2027 | Enacted, a court order bars enforcement against some companies |
| Texas | SB 314 (89th Legislature, 2025) | school food | the 2026-2027 school year (food contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2026) | In effect |
| Utah | HB 402 (2025) | school food | the 2026-2027 school year | In effect |
| Louisiana | SB 14 (2025) | school food | the 2028-2029 school year | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| Louisiana | SB 14 (2025) | package label | December 31, 2028 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| Arizona | HB 2164 (2025) | school food | the 2026-2027 school year | In effect |
| Iowa | HF 2676 (91st General Assembly) | school food | school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
Where Propylparaben shows up in labeled products
| Category | Products listing it | Products in the category | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cakes, pastries and toaster pastries | 105 | 14,007 | 0.7% |
| Cookies | 38 | 14,740 | 0.3% |
| Chips, crackers and snacks | 105 | 55,086 | 0.2% |
| Frosting, sprinkles and syrups | 12 | 6,350 | 0.2% |
| Ice cream and frozen treats | 15 | 15,154 | 0.1% |
| Cake and baking mixes | 5 | 7,507 | 0.1% |
| Snack and granola bars | 2 | 8,150 | 0.0% |
| Yogurt, milk and cheese | 4 | 30,279 | 0.0% |