Food Chemical Bans · California
California Food Safety Act
AB 418 - enacted in California.
- Status
- Enacted
- Enacted
- 2023
- States with food chemical bans laws
- 8
- California tracker score
- 100/100 Top 10%
The bottom line
California Food Safety Act is an enacted law in California, part of a still-emerging food chemical bans landscape.
- Enacted
- effective 2027-01-01
- 8
- states have food chemical bans laws
- 8/11
- food chemical bans laws enacted nationally
- 100/100
- California tracker score
Data compiled 2026-03-18 from the official California legislative record linked below; laws can be amended or repealed after this date.
Category status mix · regulations
How 11 tracked food chemical bans records split by status
Exclusive enacted vs pending counts in this category (sum to the category total). Orthogonal to the peer scatter below, which plots state-level enacted volume against portal tracker score.
Regulatory Snapshot: California Food Safety Act
California Food Safety Act (AB 418) is an enacted law in California under the Food Chemical Bans category. It was enacted on 2023-10-07 and becomes effective on 2027-01-01. California currently has 12 regulations tracked here, with 12 records marked enacted in this dataset. PlainRegWatch's tracker score is 100/100; it summarizes coverage within the five categories this site tracks and is not an official state rating. PlainRegWatch compiled this entry's data on 2026-03-18; consult the linked official source for the current, authoritative text.
Nationally, 8 food chemical bans statutes have been enacted and 3 additional bills remain pending - 8 distinct jurisdictions have codified rules in this area so far. That places California within a still-emerging food chemical bans landscape where compliance programs typically hinge on definitions in AB 418 itself.
Applicability under California Food Safety Act: All food for human consumption sold in California. Penalty exposure is documented as: $5,000 first, $10,000 subsequent. AG/city/county enforcement. Notable exemptions: Titanium dioxide removed from final. Not drugs/cosmetics..
Summary
First state law banning food additives: BVO, potassium bromate, propylparaben, Red 3.
Key Requirements
- Complete prohibition of four additives in food manufactured/sold in CA after Jan 2027.
Penalties
- $5,000 first, $10,000 subsequent.
- AG/city/county enforcement.
Applicability
- All food for human consumption sold in California.
Exemptions
- Titanium dioxide removed from final.
- Not drugs/cosmetics.
Category context
How California sits among food chemical bans peers
8 states have a tracked record in food chemical bans ; California ranks #1 by portal tracker score among those peers. Each point is one state with at least one food chemical bans regulation in this archive.
Read the peer-state figures
- California (this state): 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 100/100.
- Texas: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 69/100.
- Illinois: 0 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 62/100.
- New York: 0 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 62/100.
- Delaware: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 59/100.
- Virginia: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 59/100.
- Utah: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 55/100.
- Tennessee: 0 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 31/100.
- Arizona: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 28/100.
- Louisiana: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 28/100.
- West Virginia: 1 enacted of 1 tracked food chemical bans record, tracker score 28/100.
Dashed lines mark the peer averages in this category. The tracker score summarizes enacted records across all five policy areas PlainRegWatch tracks; it is not enforcement strength or legal burden. Read how tracker scores are computed.
Tracker-score ranking on food chemical bans
Top peer states by portal tracker score among jurisdictions with a food chemical bans record in this archive.
Read with California Food Safety Act
Nearest food chemical bans volume peers and same-state archive siblings for this ENACTED · DENSE row.
ENACTED DENSE
Texas · 1 enacted
Texas holds 1 enacted food chemical bans rows (more by 0 than California); tracker 69/100.
Delaware · 1 enacted
Delaware holds 1 enacted food chemical bans rows (more by 0 than California); tracker 59/100.
Virginia · 1 enacted
Virginia holds 1 enacted food chemical bans rows (more by 0 than California); tracker 59/100.
Utah · 1 enacted
Utah holds 1 enacted food chemical bans rows (more by 0 than California); tracker 55/100.
California AI Transparency Act · ENACTED
Another California archive row (AI Regulation) stamped ENACTED beside ENACTED California Food Safety Act.
Generative AI Training Data Transparency Act · ENACTED
Another California archive row (AI Regulation) stamped ENACTED beside ENACTED California Food Safety Act.
Disclaimer: This summary is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Regulation details may have changed since this data was compiled (2026-03-18). Always consult official sources and qualified legal counsel for compliance guidance.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with the official California source →
Every figure on PlainRegWatch is rendered from curated state legislative and Federal Register source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Status, dates, and source URL are this record's row in the curated archive, not a live legislature scrape. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026. Tracker scores and rule counts are curated records in five tracked categories - not enforcement strength, legal advice, a complete inventory of US law, or a live bill-status feed.