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Senate passes bill to ban two food additives starting 2028
Summary
The Arkansas Senate approved SB9 to prohibit manufacture and sale of potassium bromate and propylparaben in food products beginning Jan. 1, 2028, after sponsor Senator Clarke Tucker (Davis in transcript) outlined health concerns cited in other countries.
The Arkansas Senate on March 25 approved SB9, the "Make Arkansas Healthy Again Act," a bill that would ban the manufacture, sale, delivery, distribution, holding or offer for sale of food products containing potassium bromate and propylparaben beginning Jan. 1, 2028.
Sponsor Senator Jimmy Dixon (appears as Senator Davis in the transcript) told colleagues the measure targets two additives used in breads, cookie dough and shelf-stable sweets because animal studies and other research raise public-health concerns. He cited potassium bromate’s role in whitening and improving dough performance and noted it is banned in the European Union, Canada and Australia; propylparaben was described as a shelf-life extender found in candies and desserts with potential endocrine-disrupting effects cited in some studies.
The bill’s nut graf: supporters say Arkansas can rely on regulatory and market shifts — particularly California’s prior action — to adopt established standards and improve public health while giving industry a transition window. Opponents raised questions about scope and enforcement during a brief Q&A but offered no sustained floor opposition.
On the floor, sponsor Senator Davis said studies link potassium bromate to kidney and thyroid tumors in animals and described propylparaben as associated in some research with reproductive effects. Senators asked about where similar restrictions exist and about dietary choice; Davis responded that California already has a similar law and that the bill mirrors that framework. He said the federal FDA currently allows many additives and generally only acts when overwhelming evidence emerges.
The Senate rolled the final vote without extended debate. The secretary recorded 28 yays, 4 nays and 2 present. SB9 passed and was transmitted to the House.
Ending: The bill sets an effective date of Jan. 1, 2028. It directs state regulatory and public-health agencies to implement the ban; specific enforcement mechanisms and penalties were not detailed on the Senate floor.
