SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3016

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 8, 2025

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3016.

      This bill, as amended, adds four substances to the general prohibition on adulterated commercial food and bans an additional six substances from school food.

     This bill adds brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3 to the conditions that deem food for human consumption adulterated.

     It is unlawful for any entity in this State to distribute, sell, manufacture for sale or distribution, or possess with intent to sell or distribute, any adulterated food.  The State Sanitary Code, N.J.A.C.8:24, provides that enforcement of this bill is to be carried out by the Department of Health.  Each violation constitutes a separate offense and is punishable by a penalty of not less than $50 and not more than $1,000 pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1947, c.177 (C.26:1A-10). 

      The bill, as amended, prohibits six additional substances from food served, sold, or given away anywhere on school property during the school day, including items served in the reimbursable After School Snack Program.  The additional substances are all artificial food dyes, namely: red 40; yellow 5; yellow 6; blue 1; blue 2; and green 3.  The prohibition on food dyes in school foods would be effective August 1, 2028.  The provisions of the bill regarding commercial food would take effect one year after enactment.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments stipulate that the bill’s provisions regarding commercial food apply to food for human consumption that is adulterated.

      The committee amendments replace the term “it” and “its” with the term “the food.”

      The committee amendments ban several food dyes from food served, sold, or given away anywhere on school property during the school day, including items served in the reimbursable After School Snack Program.  This provision would take effect on August 1, 2028.

      The committee amendments update the title and synopsis of the bill to reflect these changes. 

      The committee amendments also make certain technical corrections involving grammar, syntax, and punctuation.