Sacramento, California - California becomes the first state to outlaw the use of four food and drink additives that are potentially harmful and have been linked to multiple diseases.

The California Food Safety Act forbids the distribution, manufacturing, and sale of food and drinks containing brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3, as multiple media outlets reported.

These dyes, which are already banned in many countries around the world, can currently be found in candy, cookies, fruit juice, and other products.

Red dye 3 for example is in Brach's candy corn and Pez. Opponents of the proposal falsely claimed that California was trying to ban Skittles.

Supporters of the law say it won't immediately strip the shelves of popular foodstuffs, but will challenge companies to make their recipes healthier. The law won't be implemented until 2027.

"Californians will still be able to access and enjoy their favorite food products, with greater confidence in the safety of such products," said Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill into law on Saturday.

Red dye 3, Brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and propylparaben are all linked to many diseases, including cancer.

In 1990, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of red dye 3 in cosmetics after it was linked to cancer in lab animals but continued to allow the additives in food.

Potassium bromate and brominated vegetable oil may harm our respiratory and nervous systems, and propylparaben may have a negative impact on reproductive health.

Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said in a statement Saturday, "It's unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety."