Bill to Ban Toxic Chemicals in Food

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills) has introduced legislation to ban the sale in California of processed foods containing dangerous and toxic chemicals already banned in the European Union.

A first-of-its-kind measure, Assembly Bill 418 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of any food product in California containing Red Dye No. 3, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Bromate, Brominated Vegetable Oil, or Propyl Paraben.

Each of these chemicals is currently banned in the European Union due to scientific studies that have demonstrated significant public health harms, including increased risk of cancer, behavioral issues in children, harm to the reproductive system, and damage to the immune system.

“Californians shouldn’t have to worry that the food they buy in their neighborhood grocery store might be

“Happy Hens” from page 5

As with raising any pet, there’s a time and a financial commitment required to keep your chickens safe, healthy and happy.

“Our chickens don’t like being cooped up, so they free-range around the back yard, eating bugs and fertilizing for us,” she explained. “This means that someone needs to be home before dark to lock the chickens safely back into their coop for the night. Previously, one of our ducks was injured, which meant a trip to the local avian vet. If left to their own devices, the chickens will rip out plants with their scratching around in the dirt for food and they’ll nibble on your flowers as well and try and walk into your house looking for a treat.”

She added, “Our chickens are kept in a fenced-in part of the yard, where they can still roam around and explore so they don’t get bored (aka they get their much-needed “chicken enrichment”) but they are far from my flower beds.”

For her chickens, a good treat is “the dried meal worms that you can buy in bulk at the feed stores.”

For more information on raising chickens, check the internet, get a book from the library, or ask full of dangerous additives or toxic chemicals,” said Gabriel, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection. “This bill will correct for a concerning lack of federal oversight and help protect our kids, public health, and the safety of our food supply.”

“Why are these toxic chemicals in our food?” said Susan Little, the Environmental Working Group’s governmental affairs senior advocate for California. “We know they are harmful and that children are likely eating more of these chemicals than adults. It makes no sense that the same products food manufacturers sell in California are sold in the European Union but without these toxic chemicals. We thank Assemblymember Gabriel’s efforts to remove these toxic additives from California’s food supply.”

“Toxic Chemicals” page 9 at your locally-owned feed store, where employees are knowledgeable.

Good tip: Check with your local building/planning department to see if there are any prohibitions on chickens.

Gil Torres points out you do not need a rooster to get started.

“So many people have asked me how my chickens are able to lay eggs without a rooster,” she wrote. “I tell them the same way women ovulate without a man.

Given the recent inclement weather, chicken owners need to be prepared to evacuate with their chickens in case of emergency.

Gil-Torres keeps portable metal pens and crates next to her chicken and duck coops in case of an evacuation order. n