CHICAGO, June, 23, 2025 — A bill signed into law Sunday by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will require packaged foods sold within the state to carry a warning if the products contain dyes, additives or other chemicals banned by nations other than the United States.
The mandate, part of a packet of measures aimed at improving public health in the Lone Star State, takes effect Sept. 1.
It applies only to packaged foods, including pre-made ready-to-eat-items, sold in c-stores or other retail components of the food-away-from-home industry. Items prepared or reheated for consumption on premises within those establishments are exempted.
So, too, are packaged foods prepared, served or sold in restaurants.
The substances meriting a warning include the artificial dyes or other chemical additives already banned by the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada. Analysis of the bill by local media suggest items prohibited in Australia may also trigger the need for a warning.
The notices have to expressly note that the packaged product contains substances that other nations have tagged as unsafe for human consumption.
The reference nations are viewed as having more stringent regulations on what can or can’t be include in foods because of the health implications.
The bill, S.B. 25, specifies that the regulations could be adjusted to reflect changes in the health policies of the federal government. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has asked food manufacturers to voluntarily stop using petroleum-based dyes in their products. Processing giants Kraft Heinz and General Mills announced last week that they will comply. It’s part of the secretary’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
The new Texas measure, already being tagged as the Make Texas Healthy Again law, contains a number of provisions aimed at promoting health within the state.
Included are requirements that schools within the state provide students with at least 30 minutes of physical activity and that fundamental nutrition education be woven into high school curricula.
The bill was signed into law by Abbott in a whirlwind of legislative activity over the weekend. The archly conservative Republican signed 1,155 bills into law and vetoed 28 measures approved by the legislature, including an initiative banning the sale of THC-containing products within the state.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.