Tools
States banning food dyes: the full list
Each enacted state law that names a food dye or additive, sorted by state, with the bills that passed a legislature without becoming law and those we could not confirm.
Is this dye or additive banned in your state?
FD&C Red No. 40 in West Virginia, November 5, 2026
Banned in school food; sale ban blocked
| 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 | In effect HB 2354 (2025), from August 1, 2025. |
| all food sold | Enacted, enforcement blocked by a court HB 2354 (2025), from January 1, 2028. The federal court barred the West Virginia Department of Health from enforcing HB 2354, finding § 16-7-2(b)(7) likely unconstitutionally vague. |
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 West VirginiaAs of November 1, 2026, 10 states have enacted at least one law that names a food dye or additive, for 14 separate rules. They fall into three kinds. Bans on all food sold in the state exist in California and West Virginia: California's covers four substances from January 1, 2027, and West Virginia's covers nine from January 1, 2028 but is enjoined by a federal court. School rules, which limit what public schools serve or sell on campus, exist in California, West Virginia, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Louisiana, Arizona, Delaware, Alaska and Iowa, with start dates from 2025 to 2028 and lists that range from Red 40 alone in Delaware to eleven substances in Arizona. Label rules exist in Texas and Louisiana: a warning statement in Texas, partly enjoined, and a QR code disclosure in Louisiana. No state law yet bans Red 40 from food sold in stores in a way that is in force. The checker above gives the status for any state and substance on any date.
Which states keep this dye out of school food?
School-food rules naming Yellow 5
9 states
| California: December 31, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| West Virginia | August 1, 2025 (in effect) |
| 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) | |
| Virginia: July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Louisiana: the 2028-2029 school year (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Arizona: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect) | |
| Alaska: January 1, 2028 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Iowa: school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
All food sold, not only schools: West Virginia.
Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
All state rules on one table
One row per rule: a single law can contain two, such as West Virginia's school rule and sale ban, or Louisiana's school rule and label disclosure. The status is computed for November 5, 2026.
| State | Law | Scope | Substances | From | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | AB 418 (2023) | all food sold | 4 | January 1, 2027 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| California | AB 2316 (2024) | school food | 6 | December 31, 2027 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| West Virginia | HB 2354 (2025) | all food sold | 9 | January 1, 2028 | Enacted, enforcement blocked by a court |
| West Virginia | HB 2354 (2025) | school food | 7 | August 1, 2025 | In effect |
| Texas | SB 25 (89th Legislature, 2025) | package label | 12 | 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 | 14 | 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 | 9 | the 2026-2027 school year | In effect |
| Virginia | HB 1910 and SB 1289 (2025) | school food | 7 | July 1, 2027 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| Louisiana | SB 14 (2025) | school food | 10 | the 2028-2029 school year | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| Louisiana | SB 14 (2025) | package label | 11 | December 31, 2028 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| Arizona | HB 2164 (2025) | school food | 11 | the 2026-2027 school year | In effect |
| Delaware | SB 69 (153rd General Assembly) | school food | 1 | July 1, 2026 | In effect |
| Alaska | SB 187 (34th Legislature) | school food | 7 | January 1, 2028 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| Iowa | HF 2676 (91st General Assembly) | school food | 8 | school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027 | Enacted, not yet in effect |
| New York | S1239 (2025-2026) | all food sold | 3 | not law: would start one year after the act takes effect (180 days after signature) | Bill passed by the legislature, not law |
| Tennessee | SB 2423 / HB 1853 (2026), HB 134 (2025) | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Nebraska | LB 940 (2026) | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| New Hampshire | SB 577 (2026) | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Michigan | HB 5069 (2025-2026) | not confirmed | not confirmed | not confirmed | Not confirmed |
Three kinds of law
Bans on all food make a product with a listed substance unlawful to make, sell or distribute in the state. They are the strongest kind and the ones most likely to be challenged: West Virginia's was enjoined as likely too vague in its key provision.
School rules change what a school serves or sells, not what shoppers find. They differ in scope: some cover only breakfast and lunch, as in Alaska; others cover everything sold on campus during the school day, as in Arizona, Virginia or Iowa. The school meal page compares them.
Label rules leave a product on sale but require information on the package: a printed warning in Texas for labels designed from 2027, a QR code in Louisiana from the end of 2028. The Texas warning page covers the court order.
Which states keep this dye out of school food?
School-food rules naming Yellow 5
9 states
| California: December 31, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| West Virginia | August 1, 2025 (in effect) |
| 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) | |
| Virginia: July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Louisiana: the 2028-2029 school year (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Arizona: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect) | |
| Alaska: January 1, 2028 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
| Iowa: school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect) | |
All food sold, not only schools: West Virginia.
Why some states say "not confirmed"
We show a state law only after reading it at the legislature's own site or the state code. On November 1, 2026, the official sites of Tennessee, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Michigan refused our connections, so we could not confirm the bills reported there. Rather than repeat secondary reports, we mark them "not confirmed" and leave them out of the counts. They will be added once read at the source.