Louisiana Bans or Controls 50 Ingredients, Including Colors, Sweeteners, Seed Oils

States keep trumping each other by approving ingredient bans with longer lists of ingredients. While Texas on June 22 required warning labels on 44 ingredients, neighboring Louisiana just created a law controlling 50 (by our count) ingredients, some prohibited in schools and some banned throughout the state.

The new law of course includes the seven petroleum-derived colors that are mentioned in all passed or pending state and federal legislation, plus the other usual suspects (azodicarbonamide, butylated hydroxyanisole, etc.) but also some surprise additions -- such as sweeteners acesulfame potassium, aspartame and sucralose – bleached flour and seed oils.

Louisiana Senate Bill No. 14, now Act No. 463, was signed into law June 27 by Governor Jeff Landry. Parts of it go into effect in 2028. It was passed unanimously by both houses.

“Today’s bill-signing event, named the ‘MAHA LA Official Bill Signing’ by Protect Louisiana Values, an organization that advocates for Governor Landry’s policy agenda, ceremoniously signals Louisiana’s alignment with President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) policies,” said an analysis by law firm Covington & Burling. “Indeed, earlier this year, Sen. Patrick McMath, who sponsored S.B. 14, said that he worked with Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration to craft the bill.”

By banning certain ingredients, it essentially removes ultraprocessed foods from state-funded schools; mandates warning labels for artificial colors, additives and banned chemicals; requires restaurants to disclose the use of seed oils in food preparation; prohibits the purchase of sugary soft drinks with SNAP benefits; and requires continuing education for health professionals on nutrition and metabolic health.

“No public school governing authority shall serve any food or beverage containing a prohibited ingredient to students in schools under its jurisdiction,” the new law says. “Likewise, no nonpublic school that receives state funds shall serve any food or beverage containing a prohibited ingredient to students.” The rules apply to breakfasts and lunches served during regular school hours and to any food or beverages served by the school to a student during aftercare. It does not apply to products from concession stands or vending machines.

The schools prohibition includes: Blue dye 1 & 2, Green dye 3, Red dye 3 & 40, Yellow dye 5 & 6; plus azodicarbonamide (ADA), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), potassium bromate, propylparaben, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, sucralose.

Another section stipulates, “Any food product offered for sale in this state shall be labeled by the manufacturer … if the product contains … acesulfame potassium, esters of mono- and diglycerides (acetic acid ester), anisole, aspartame, ADA, BHA, BHT, bleached flour, bromated flour, calcium bromate, canthaxanthin, citrus red dye 2, diacetyl, dimethylamylamine, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, interesterified palm oil, interesterified soybean oil, lactylated fatty acid esters of glycerol and propylene glycol, morpholine, olestra, partially hydrogenated oil, potassium aluminum sulfate, potassium bromate, potassium iodate, propylene oxide, propylparaben, sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium stearyl fumarate, stearyl tartrate, sucralose, synthetic trans fatty acid, thiodipropionic acid, toluene, plus all the banned dyes.

“The product label shall include a quick response code, or QR code; that web page shall contain the following disclaimer in a prominent location: ‘NOTICE: This product contains [insert ingredient here]. For more information about this ingredient, including FDA approvals, click HERE.’ The disclaimer shall link to the United States Food and Drug Administration's web page regarding food chemical safety.”

Foodservice establishments are required to notify patrons of the use of seed oils, specifically: canola or rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil.

That section regulating foodservice and seed oils appears to take effect immediately. The labeling requirement for “harmful” ingredients goes into effect Jan. 1, 2028; the ban on ingredients in schools begins with the 2028-2029 school year.

By the way, the count of food processors who have committed to removing synthetic colors is now up to six, with the addition last week of Hershey.