Environmental Working Group - Know your environment. Protect your health.

EWG's map of state Food faws at risk of federal override

August 18, 2026

Interactive map: Tracking state food safety laws at risk of federal override

Iris Myers — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:14:02 +0000

Interactive map: Tracking state food safety laws at risk of federal override Iris Myers August 18, 2026

In April, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) proposed a draft bill that would, if enacted, further hobble an already broken system that allows scores of food chemicals to come onto the market with little government oversight.

The bill is known as the FDA Review and Evaluation for Safe, Healthy and Affordable Foods, or FRESH and Affordable Foods Act. If enacted, it would preempt, or override, retroactively and prospectively, all state food chemical laws.

This includes those banning the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS from food packaging, artificial dyes from school foods and heavy metals from baby food and infant formula.

In addition, the FRESH Act would gut rules on the information companies must provide the Food and Drug Administration when submitting a notice that a food chemical is “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS.

States with legislation that are threatened by the FRESH Act:

Interative map

Learn about how state legislation is protecting the safety of food across the country and how policymakers are shaping the future of food protections.

Click here

Areas of Focus

Authors

August 18, 2026

Four EWG-sponsored California consumer choice, safety bills clear key spending committees

JR Culpepper — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:37:32 +0000

Four EWG-sponsored California consumer choice, safety bills clear key spending committees JR Culpepper August 13, 2026

SACRAMENTO – Four bills sponsored by the Environmental Working Group this week cleared appropriations committees in the California Legislature, sending the legislation for full floor votes as state lawmakers enter their final voting stretch before adjournment.

The bills target some of the most pressing consumer health and affordability issues facing Californians: toxic “forever chemical” pesticides, undisclosed chemicals in baby diapers, America’s addiction to ultra-processed foods and sky-high electricity bills.

“Sacramento lawmakers have a chance this month to prove, once again, why California continues to reshape the national marketplace on health and safety,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, EWG's senior vice president for California.

“Each of these bills reflects something simple: people deserve transparency, and they deserve affordable options that don't compromise their health,” she added.

Using solar to lower sky-high electricity bills (Senate Bill 868)

SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, would cut the red tape blocking affordable balcony solar systems from being placed in apartments, condos and single-family homes, while ensuring the systems meet strict safety standards. The bill sustained some extensive amendments in the Assembly Appropriations Committee that have yet to be reviewed and analyzed.

The bill is authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by EWG and the Abundance Network, and now heads for an Assembly floor vote.

“Balcony solar lets California residents place a small solar panel on a sunny patio or balcony, plug it into a regular wall outlet and start saving on their electricity bill right away,” said Del Chiaro. “Installing balcony solar is as simple as plugging an appliance like a toaster into a standard wall outlet. At a time when many struggle to pay their energy bills, balcony solar is a powerful cost-cutting tool.

“We have yet to see the amendments to the bill and can’t yet comment on their significance,” she added.

California electricity rates have nearly doubled over the past decade, leaving the state with the nation's second-highest energy prices. A single 400-watt balcony solar system can cover roughly 14% of the average apartment's electricity usage, providing savings of about $250 per year. While the cost of balcony solar starts around $500 today, EWG expects SB 868 would enable broader adoption of the systems, making them more accessible to low-income households.

Balcony solar already thrives in Europe, with more than 4 million systems installed in Germany alone, and efforts to expand deployment continue to gather steam in other countries.

In the U.S., regulatory barriers have kept the technology out of reach for many – barriers SB 868 would remove while setting statewide safety standards.

Other states are moving in the same direction, including New York, where a balcony solar bill now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature.

Widespread use of PFAS pesticides (Assembly Bill 1603)

AB 1603, by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), would address the use of toxic "forever chemicals" pesticides allowed for use in California. It now heads to the Senate floor.

More than 2.5 million pounds of PFAS pesticides are applied to California crops each year, contaminating produce, soil and water. EWG research found PFAS pesticides on nine in 10 California-grown samples of peaches, nectarines and plums tested by the state.

As introduced, AB 1603 would have banned the use, sale and manufacture of PFAS pesticides statewide by 2035, paused new state approvals immediately, phased out by 2030 the PFAS pesticides not permitted in Europe, and required public disclosure of PFAS pesticide use.

Under pressure from the pesticide industry and agricultural interests, the bill's author agreed to remove the ban provisions and other restrictions, in order to keep the legislation moving.

Even in its amended form, AB 1603 is an important step forward as it represents growing legislative concern about regulating PFAS as a class of chemicals, and it marks the first time California has required the state to systematically track and disclose PFAS pesticide use, information state agencies didn't have before EWG's research brought it to light.

“We need to stop spraying our strawberries and peaches with toxic forever chemicals,” said Susan Little, EWG's California legislative director. “We are contaminating our food and water supplies and it needs to stop.”

“With this bill, we are calling a spade a spade so that farmers and the public alike can be aware of the extent of this problem and we can continue to address it,” she added.

Of the thousands of PFAS used in commerce, very few have comprehensive toxicity data, but what we do know is alarming: the health harms linked to the most well-studied PFAS, including cancer, immune suppression, and reproductive and developmental harm, show up at doses far lower than regulators once considered safe.

Baby diapers made of mystery chemicals (Assembly Bill 1901)

AB 1901, by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), would require manufacturers of children's diapers sold, distributed or manufactured in California to fully disclose all intentionally added ingredients, both on product packaging and online.

EWG is co-sponsoring the bill alongside Consumer Reports, the Center for Environmental Health and Children Now. AB 1901 now heads to a full Senate floor vote.

Babies spend much of their first two to three years of life in diapers. Yet disposable diapers are exempt by the federal government from carrying ingredient labels of any kind, and manufacturers are not required to inform regulators about the chemicals used to make them.

Today, manufacturers can hide dozens of chemicals behind umbrella terms like “fragrance” or “colors,” potentially toxic mystery cocktails that leave parents with no way of knowing what chemicals sit against their baby's skin day after day.

“A newborn can't choose what touches their skin, and right now, neither can their parents because manufacturers have made sure of it,” said EWG’s Little.

“Every hour of every day, an infant's skin is absorbing whatever industry decided not to tell us about. Parents can read a nutrition label or a shampoo label but not this. AB 1901 isn't asking for anything radical. It's asking for diapers to contain ingredient labels that are similar to labels required of other baby products,” she added.

Recent tests have found diapers may contain volatile organic compounds; phthalates, linked to hormone disruption and reproductive and developmental harm; quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, used in wetness indicators and linked to reproductive effects, skin irritation and asthma; and dyes and bleaching agents that can cause allergic reactions or skin and respiratory irritation. Because babies' skin is thinner, more permeable and still developing, they are especially vulnerable to these exposures.

EWG has created a Guide to Safer Diapers to help parents navigate the market in the meantime, and diapers earning the EWG Verified® mark meet our strict standards for ingredient transparency and health.

What is and isn't ultra-processed food (Assembly Bill 2244)

AB 2244, by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), would create a first-of-its-kind state certification program allowing shoppers to easily identify foods that are not ultra-processed, or UPF. These foods make up more than two-thirds of children's diets and more than half of the typical adult diet in the U.S., and have been linked to serious health harms including cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders and mental health issues.

If enacted, the bill would establish a standardized “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” label. Products could carry the new label if they are classified as “not UPF” under state law. The legislation will next get a full Senate floor vote.

The California Department of Public Health would oversee accreditation of independent certification agents, with products subject to recertification at least every three years. Certification agents would be required to register with the state, disclose all certified products, and submit to state audits at any time, with a public online list of certified products and enforcement against misuse of the label.

“Parents shouldn't need a Ph.D. in chemistry to understand what they're feeding their kids,” said Del Chiaro. “AB 2244 will empower consumers with clear, trustworthy information and make it easier for them to locate healthier foods that are free from harmful additives like flavors. This new seal doesn't limit consumer choice, it just makes informed choice possible.”

“Consumers deserve labels they can trust. And families deserve a simple way to tell which foods are closer to what comes from a kitchen rather than a factory,” she added.

The bill would also require large food retailers, those selling more than 25 individual non-UPF-certified product types and generating more than $10 million in annual sales, to display certified products in a way that's easy for shoppers to identify, such as through special signage or physical separation in stores.

What's next

If lawmakers pass the bills, they would head to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for his signature.

“California has an opportunity, once again, to show the rest of the country what real consumer protection looks like,” Del Chiaro said. “We're urging lawmakers to finish the job on all four of these bills.”

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Legislation covers diaper chemicals, PFAS pesticides, solar and ultra-processed food

Press Contact

Monica Amarelo

monica@ewg.org

(202) 939-9140

August 13, 2026

EWG applauds California’s phase-out of toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson’s and other diseases

Anthony Lacey — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:40:29 +0000

EWG applauds California’s phase-out of toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson’s and other diseases Anthony Lacey August 10, 2026

SACRAMENTO – The Environmental Working Group today applauded the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s announcement that all manufacturers of pesticide products containing paraquat-dichloride have voluntarily cancelled their registrations that allow them to sell paraquat in the state.

The decision starts the phase-out of one of the most toxic weedkillers in use in California agriculture. It’s a major step toward protecting farmworkers, agricultural communities and the environment from a highly toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson’s disease, thyroid disease, childhood leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and birth defects.

“California is sending a powerful message that there is no place for paraquat in modern agriculture,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, EWG’s senior vice president for California. “The fact is, farmworkers and nearby communities have been unprotected from the health threats of paraquat making this decision long overdue.

“That, along with the tragic spill in Dorris put the writing on the wall that paraquat’s days were numbered,” said Del Chiaro.

In March, a large container of paraquat fell from a truck in the northern California town Dorris, spilling roughly 60 gallons of the chemical onto a major roadway and into the surrounding community. Citing the risk of exposure to airborne paraquat releases, officials ordered a lockdown affecting about 600 residents, including those at a local elementary school.

Del Chiaro praised the California Legislature, in particular former Assemblymember and now Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) and leading voices like Dolores Huerta that ultimately led to today’s announcement through the enactment of AB 1963 in 2004. EWG sponsored the legislation, which required DPR to prioritize the scientific reevaluation of paraquat.

Using paraquat is banned in more than 70 countries, and earlier this year Vermont became the first U.S. state to prohibit its use.

“Paraquat is bad news for farmers, farmworkers and public health,” said Del Chiaro. “We applaud today’s announcement and urge other states to follow the lead of California and Vermont and ban this toxic crop chemical once and for all.”

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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Visit www.ewg.org for more information.

Areas of Focus

Farming & Agriculture

Press Contact

Alex Formuzis

alex@ewg.org

(202) 667-6982

August 10, 2026

EWG statement on FDA’s new GRAS proposal

Iris Myers — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:13:43 +0000

EWG statement on FDA’s new GRAS proposal Iris Myers August 7, 2026

WASHINGTON – Today the Food and Drug Administration proposed a new rule to amend the “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, food chemicals loophole.

The GRAS regulatory loophole has, for years, allowed companies to add new, potentially harmful chemicals and other substances to snacks, drinks and more without first undergoing FDA safety review.

When Congress created the GRAS loophole in 1958, it was meant to apply largely to ingredients widely recognized as safe, such as salt, yeast and chicken broth.

But the loophole means that now almost all chemicals added to food are greenlighted by the food industry, not the FDA. Since 2000, nearly 99 percent of food chemicals added to commerce came into the market through the loophole, a 2025 Environmental Working Group analysis found.

The following is a statement from Melanie Benesh, EWG’s vice president for government affairs:

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is correct that the GRAS system is broken and in urgent need of reform. And eliminating the pathway that allows companies to self-certify chemicals as “generally recognized as safe” without notifying the FDA is the first step toward meaningful reform.
But true GRAS reform requires more than mandatory notification. It must also include strong, science-based safety standards and thorough, independent FDA review before chemicals are allowed in our food. And it must address the thousands of substances already on the market that have not been meaningfully reviewed in decades.
Americans deserve a system where food safety decisions are made by independent experts at the FDA – not by the companies that profit from selling these chemicals.

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Areas of Focus

Press Contact

Iris Myers

iris@ewg.org

(202) 939-9126

August 10, 2026

4 ways the food industry fools your senses

Anthony Lacey — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

4 ways the food industry fools your senses Anthony Lacey August 6, 2026

Companies use a range of tricks to make your food taste more flavorful.

Many of these tactics come straight from the tobacco industry playbook – and they’re so effective that some ultra-processed foods, or UPF, are considered addictive.

But companies are not just targeting your taste buds. They’re tricking your other senses, too. It’s all part of a sales strategy to make their food products as appealing as possible, and most people never even realize it.

From the time you see a packaged food to the smell you get when you open it to the sound it makes when you bite into it – you’re subject to marketing ploys the food industry has spent decades and millions of dollars perfecting.

Here’s how companies use these tactics to sell ultra-processed products, from cream cheese to chips to cheese puffs.

Get your free guide: EWG's Guide to Food Additives

1. Scent marketing can trigger cravings

Smell is a powerful sensory cue. Specific scents can bring up old memories, evoke an emotional response and – of course – trigger hunger.

Food companies, retailers and restaurants have figured out how to use this to their advantage.

Some grocers strategically pump bakery smells through the store to inspire impulse purchases. Sometimes the smells aren’t even real. One promotional campaign used scented diffusers to release a baked cheesecake aroma into select grocery stores in an attempt to sell Philadelphia-brand cream cheese.

Food companies will even use “scent marketing” in their packaging and labels to appeal to consumers and build brand loyalty. As Chris van Tulleken describes in “Ultra-Processed People,” some ice cream producers use caramel scented wrappers to compensate for the lack of smell in frozen foods.

2. Chips are engineered for the perfect crunch

It’s not by chance that biting a potato chip feels so satisfying. Companies that make chips and other crunchy snacks have put serious thought into the sound they make when you eat them.

One study famously asked volunteers to judge the freshness of Pringles chips based on the volume of their crunch. People who heard louder crunches rated the chips as fresher than those who heard quieter crunches. Another study found that people ate fewer potato chips when they wore headphones to cancel out the crunching sound.

PepsiCo, parent company of Frito-Lay, has 19 research and development centers that research food qualities like chip crispness. Some companies patent the processes they use to create a proprietary chip texture and crunch.

3. Food coloring can trick you into tasting more flavors

The color of a food can influence its taste. When you see a red fruit snack or a pink yogurt, your brain expects a certain type of flavor – and that expectation can affect how you experience it. Food companies know that, which is why many artificially flavored strawberry products also contain artificial red color.

Studies consistently show that people expect more intense flavors from foods with intense colors. Research found that added food coloring can increase the perception of sweetness by as much as 10%.

When margarine was first introduced in the late 1800s, it was white. Sales increased when manufacturers started using yellow food dye to make it look more like butter – to the dismay of dairy producers, who successfully lobbied some states for “anti-color laws.”

4. Cheese puffs are designed to disappear in your mouth

Light, airy snacks like cheese puffs are made to melt in your mouth. That isn’t just for texture and taste – it can actually short circuit the signals your body uses to tell you you’re full.

When food like a Cheeto dissolves quickly in your mouth, your brain doesn’t always have enough time to recognize that you’ve eaten food. The result is that you don’t experience a sense of fullness and you’re more likely to keep snacking.

This disappearing act is backed by science. A range of studies have found strategies that slow down eating speed can reduce appetite and overall calorie intake.

Don’t let the food industry fool you

The food industry’s priority is to sell products, not support public health.

This has experts asking whether it’s time to treat UPF like tobacco. But the federal government has failed to take any policy action to protect public health.

States are stepping in to fill the gaps. In recent years, dozens have proposed or enacted stricter food chemical laws. California took on ultra-processed foods directly with a landmark law to remove the most harmful UPF from schools. State lawmakers are now considering creating a non-UPF certification to help shoppers make more informed choices at the grocery store.

Until the federal government adopts food policies that put our health first, there are a few steps you can take to avoid UPF and the marketing ploys that promote them.

One approach is to look past colors and other creative marketing to check ingredient lists and nutrition facts on the back of the package. Look to avoid longer lists of ingredients, including artificial colors and flavors, that you probably wouldn’t find in a home kitchen.

Take a look at EWG’s Food Scores, which provides ratings for more than 150,000 foods and drinks based on nutrition, ingredients and processing concerns. Food Scores also flags unhealthy UPF and can help with identifying healthier alternatives.

Shoppers on the go can also use EWG’s Healthy Living™ app.

Finally, follow Fed UP! – a new coalition of scientists, researchers and public health advocates dedicated to exposing the harms of UPF and showing how our food system shapes our health.

Areas of Focus

Food & Water

Family Health

Sarah Reinhardt, MPH, RDN

Authors

August 6, 2026

Do ‘feel good’ energy drinks deliver on their health claims?

Anthony Lacey — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Do ‘feel good’ energy drinks deliver on their health claims? Anthony Lacey August 5, 2026

Energy drink brands like Monster and Red Bull have dominated the market for years with gritty marketing. Now, wellness-focused brands like Celsius are promoting energy drinks they claim will boost metabolism and support an active lifestyle – but are they actually healthy?

These newer brands swap the sugar and high calories for wellness-inspired branding; think bright colors and fruit-forward imagery. Alani-Nu, owned by Celsius, says its products break away from “dark cans, extreme sports” energy drinks. Instead, the company says its drinks provide “ingredients you can feel good about” and a “high energy” boost.

But efforts to create a healthier image don’t necessarily lead to a healthier product. Many of these drinks contain high levels of caffeine and ultra-processed ingredients, including artificial chemicals used to enhance flavor, color and shelf stability rather than nutrition.

Get your free guide: EWG's Guide to Food Additives

Food chemicals and energy drinks

An increasingly common ingredient in these newer energy drinks is green tea extract. While green tea is often associated with health benefits, the highly concentrated extracts used in some beverages are a different story.

One of green tea’s primary compounds, epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, can be present in concentrated forms at levels far higher than those found in a typical cup of tea, raising safety questions.

The Food and Drug Administration has questioned EGCG’s effects, including its potential association with increased risk of cancer based on studies conducted in cells and on harm to several organs.

But you may find EGCG in your drink anyway, thanks to a legal loophole that allows food ingredients to be considered “generally recognized as safe” by industry scientists – even without FDA review. The exemption lets manufacturers determine which food chemicals are safe.

Chemical and food companies have exploited this loophole for decades – in fact, that’s how almost all new food chemicals get introduced to the market.

Artificial sweeteners aren’t a health fix

“Zero sugar” doesn’t mean zero risk. Many of these beverages rely on artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium and sucralose, which is 600 times sweeter than regular table sugar.

Sucralose is included on EWG’s Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Chemicals. The list highlights ingredients to avoid because of links to health and safety risks.

Don’t overlook the high caffeine content, either. These “healthy” alternatives often pack as much as 200 milligrams of caffeine per can – nearly double that of traditional options like Red Bull and Monster. That’s about half of the FDA’s recommended maximum daily limit, potentially triggering spiked heart rates, anxiety and insomnia.

EWG helps you choose healthier options

The bottom line? Don't let these drinks’ clean packaging designs fool you – they don’t make the beverage it contains any better for you. Reading ingredient lists and nutrition labels are the best way to find out what’s in the food and drinks you consume.

That’s where EWG’s Food Scores database comes in.

Food Scores rates more than 150,000 products based on nutrition, ingredient concerns and the degree of processing, making it easy to compare products side by side and make more informed choices at the grocery store. Food Scores also flags unhealthy ultra-processed food and drinks and can help you identify alternatives.

Areas of Focus

Food & Water

Family Health

Women's Health