SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — A law banning certain additives from school lunches in Utah is set to kick in when students return to class over the next few weeks.
House Bill 402 requires Utah schools to remove certain synthetic dyes and additives from food served during the school day. The law applies to breakfast and lunch, and teachers must get parental permission before handing out classroom food that contains those additives.
“Last year, we did a thorough investigation of all our menus. There wasn’t much that we needed to change, which was a big win,” Buffy Swensen, nutrition services director for Granite School District, said. “There were a few products that we’ve removed. Doritos are a good example; they have the blue.”
Emily Stembridge, a parent who pushed the idea to lawmakers, has always paid close attention to what she puts into her body.
“These chemicals can come out seamlessly,” Stembridge said. “When you look at it, it’s such a low percentage of food items that it even affected. We’re just trying to do a little better for our kids.”
What people picture as the old cafeteria staples isn’t really being served in Granite schools.
“Back when I was younger, it was more like meatloaf, Beef Stroganoff, Hamburger Helper, which is still good but maybe it’s not so appealing,” Swensen said. “We’re trying to get kids to eat with their eyes, so we don’t see these types of items as often anymore.”
Swensen shared how school lunches have changed a lot over the years.
“We used to have fryers in the schools, so there were a lot of fried food served in the school,” she said. “Portion sizes were a lot bigger.”
The district has also reduced the amount of sodium, saturated fat, and sugar in its meals over the years.
“I hope to see more changes across the board within schools; I hope it seamlessly integrates into the school system,” Stembridge said.
Below are the items now banned in school breakfasts and lunches:
- Potassium bromate
- Propylparaben
- FD&C Blue No. 1
- FD&C Blue No. 2
- FD&C Green No. 3
- FD&C Red No. 3
- FD&C Red No. 40
- FD&C Yellow No. 5
- FD&C Yellow No. 6.
