PHOENIX — Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is calling for the removal of harmful junk food from schools, urging lawmakers to pass House Bill 2164 to eliminate certain processed foods and artificial ingredients from school cafeterias and vending machines.
“The time has come to eliminate harmful foods from public schools and vending machines,” Horne said at a Tuesday news conference. “Synthetic food dyes are associated with behavioral issues, which then affect a child’s ability to perform academically and engage socially.”
Horne was joined by several advocates and state lawmakers, including Rep. Leo Biasiucci, the bill’s sponsor.
What Would House Bill 2164 Ban?
If passed, the legislation would prohibit schools from selling foods containing any of the following ingredients during the school day:
- Potassium bromate
- Propylparaben
- Titanium dioxide
- Brominated vegetable oil
- Yellow dyes 5 and 6
- Blue dyes 1 and 2
- Red dyes 3 and 40
- Green dye 3
Horne pointed out that the U.S. currently allows about 10,000 food additives, compared to just 400 approved ingredients in Europe. “These issues need to be addressed,” he said. “Replacing foods that contain these harmful ingredients with minimally processed options is achievable.”
Supporting Healthier School Meals
Horne highlighted the Arizona Department of Education’s Try it Local program, which provides additional reimbursements to schools that purchase locally grown, minimally processed foods for student meals.
“This is a familiar crusade for me,” Horne added. “In 2006, I was successful in getting sugared sodas out of schools, and I am just as enthusiastic about seeing this effort succeed. I urge passage of this bill, and the governor should sign it.”
