Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act

H.R. 8450

SEC. 902. NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS, SYNTHETIC DYES, AND OTHER

POTENTIALLY HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN SCHOOL MEALS.
(a) In General.—Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this section,
the Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine (referred to in this section as the “National Academy”) under
which the National Academy shall create and publish the report described in subsection (b).
(b) Report.—The report shall include recommendations for nutrition standards for the
school lunch program authorized under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
(42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the school breakfast program established by section 4 of the
Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) with respect to non-nutritive sweeteners,
synthetics dyes, and other potentially harmful substances in school meals.
(c) Publication.—

(1) NATIONAL ACADEMY.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the
Secretary and the National Academy enter into the agreement described in subsection
(a), the National Academy shall—

(A) submit the report to the Secretary; and

(B) publish the report.

(2) SECRETARY.—Not later than 30 days after the submission of the report
under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall make such report publicly available in an
easily identifiable place on the website of the Department.

(d) Non-Nutritive Sweeteners, Synthetic Dyes, And Other Potentially Harmful

Substances Standards.—Not later than 18 months after the submission of the report under
subsection (c)(1)(A), the Secretary may promulgate proposed regulations to include
standards for non-nutritive sweeteners, synthetic dyes, and other potentially harmful
substances for the school lunch program authorized under the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the school breakfast program established by
section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) based on recommendations
made in such report.

The issue that I chose to cover is Section 902(d) of the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act
(H.R. 8450); this section requires Congress to propose regulations on the use of synthetic
dyes and non-nutritive sweeteners in school breakfasts and school lunches.
This issue is important because evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and animal experiments
continue to demonstrate the harmful effects of synthetic dyes and non-nutritive
sweeteners. Synthetic dyes are linked to a myriad of health problems including
neurological disorders (Arnold et al., 2012; CEHC, 2021; McCann et al., 2007; Miller et
al., 2022) and cancer (Kobylewski & Jacobson, 2012; Price et al., 1978). In animal studies,
synthetic dyes have provoked liver damage, kidney damage, damage to the male testes, and
blood disorders (Mahmoud, 2006; Saxena & Sharma, 2015). Non-nutritive sweeteners such as
aspartame and sucralose cause intestinal dysbiosis, liver damage, neurological disorders, and
metabolic disorders (Azad et al., 2017; Basson et al., 2021; Christofides, 2021; Finamor et al.,
2017; Jacob & Stechschulte, 2008; Nettleton et al., 2016; Rycerz & Jaworska-Adamu, 2013;
Suez et al., 2014; Swithers, 2013; Walton et al., 1993) and induces cancer in animals (Landrigan
& Straif, 2021).
The Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act has already been renewed in the 2021-2022 legislative
session and signed into law by President Biden. However, the National Academy of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine has until May 2023 to create recommendations to the U. S. Secretary
of Agriculture, who in turn has 18 months from the receipt of the recommendations to make
changes to the regulations and standards of school lunches and breakfasts.

.
f. On the page after your summary, list the names and mailing addresses of the House
(1) legislator representing your home district, and the two Senators representing your
home state (their Washington DC office address).
Senator Mazie Hirono
109 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6361

Senator Brian Schatz

722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3934

Representative Kai Kahele

1205 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-4906

References
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attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms: conclusions to dye for. Neurotherapeutics : the journal
of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 9(3), 599–609.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-012-0133-x
Azad, M. B., Abou-Setta, A. M., Chauhan, B. F., Rabbani, R., Lys, J., Copstein, L., Mann, A.,
Jeyaraman, M. M., Reid, A. E., Fiander, M., MacKay, D. S., McGavock, J., Wicklow, B., &
Zarychanski, R. (2017). Nonnutritive sweeteners and cardiometabolic health: a systematic
review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies. CMAJ :
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Basson, A. R., Rodriguez-Palacios, A., & Cominelli, F. (2021). Artificial Sweeteners: History
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Children's Environmental Health Center (CEHC). (2021 Apr). Health Effects Assessment:
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Protection Agency.
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/risk-assessment/report/healthefftsassess041621.pdf
Christofides E. A. (2021). POINT: Artificial Sweeteners and Obesity-Not the Solution and
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2021.08.001
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https://applications.emro.who.int/imemrf/J_Egypt_Soc_Toxicol/2006_34_77.pdf
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Suez, J., Korem, T., Zeevi, D., Zilberman-Schapira, G., Thaiss, C. A., Maza, O., Israeli, D.,
Zmora, N., Gilad, S., Weinberger, A., Kuperman, Y., Harmelin, A., Kolodkin-Gal, I., Shapiro,
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Part 2 ( 2-3 pages): Compose and submit a legislative letter
a. Paragraph one – briefly introduce yourself and mention where you are from. Clearly
state the specific issue about which you are writing.
b. Paragraph two – give reasons why the issue is important using factual evidence, as
well as personal anecdotes.
c. Paragraph three – specify the course of action that you would like the legislator to
take and explain how this action would benefit his/her constituents.
d. Paragraph four - end by thanking the legislator for his/her time and consideration of
the issue and inviting them to contact you with questions or a request for additional
information. Make sure your name and address, if applicable, appear clearly on your
letter.