SB 4 Oklahoma Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Food products; prohibiting use of certain substances in food products; authorizing the State Board of Agriculture to issue certain orders for violation. Effective date.

SB 4 bans 7 specific food dyes (like Blue Dye 1 and Red Dye 40) and 14 additional additives (including aspartame and sodium benzoate) in Oklahoma food products starting January 15, 2027, directly affecting food manufacturers and sellers. It requires products containing these substances to display a clear warning label stating: "WARNING. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS INGREDIENTS AND/OR CHEMICALS HAZARDOUS FOR INGESTION AND MAY CAUSE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS." The State Board of Agriculture can issue "stop-sale" orders for violations, and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture may impose $5,000 daily penalties or seek court injunctions. The bill also authorizes the State Board to create implementing rules and directs collected fines to fund Oklahoma's Farm to School Program.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB4 (3-26-25) (THOMPSON) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a floor substitute to a committee substitute, indicating it has been amended by the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Wildlife. The most significant substantive change is the addition of new prohibited substances (Aspartame, Azodicarbonamide, Brominated vegetable oil, Butylated hydroxyanisole, Butylated hydroxytoluene, Ethylene dichloride, Methylene chloride, Potassium bromate, Propyl gallate, Propylparaben, Sodium benzoate, Sodium nitrate, Titanium dioxide, and Trichloroethylene) to the list of banned ingredients in food products and ingestible drugs. Additionally, the bill now explicitly requires product labels to include a specific warning message about hazardous ingredients.

Scope change

The scope of the bill expanded to include a broader range of chemical additives and color dyes that were previously not listed in the floor version.

REQUIREMENT

Added a list of 14 specific substances (including Aspartame, BHA, BHT, and Titanium dioxide) that are now prohibited in food products and ingestible drugs starting in 2027 and 2028.

Mandated that product labels must conspicuously display a specific warning message stating the product contains hazardous ingredients that may cause adverse health effects.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document type from 'Floor Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' and updated the header to reflect the Senate Floor Version with amendments.

Removed the 'FLOOR SUBSTITUTE' designation and related formatting markers, replacing them with committee amendment indicators.

Introduced → Committee Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from an 'Introduced' version to a 'Committee Substitute' version, significantly expanding the list of prohibited food additives and adding new requirements for labeling and enforcement. The original text prohibited only five specific substances, while the new version prohibits nineteen, including common ingredients like aspartame, artificial dyes, and preservatives. Additionally, the bill now requires manufacturers to disclose these ingredients on product labels, websites, or QR codes, and authorizes the State Board of Agriculture to issue stop-sale orders and assess fines. The effective date remains November 1, 2025, but the enforcement timeline for specific additives has been adjusted to begin in 2027 and 2028.

Scope change

The scope of prohibited substances was expanded from five items to nineteen items, and the bill now includes mandatory disclosure requirements for manufacturers.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that manufacturers must disclose prohibited ingredients on product labels, websites, or QR codes linked to websites.

Expanded the list of prohibited food additives from five substances (e.g., potassium bromate, red dye 3) to nineteen substances, including aspartame, azodicarbonamide, and titanium dioxide.

ENFORCEMENT

Authorized the State Board of Agriculture to issue 'stop-sale' or 'notice of violation' orders for products containing prohibited substances.

Granted the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry authority to assess administrative penalties of $5,000 for subsequent violations and seek injunctive relief in court.

FISCAL

Specified that administrative penalties collected must be deposited into the State Department of Agriculture Revolving Fund to support the Farm to School Program Act.

TIMELINE

Added specific effective dates for the prohibition of certain additives (January 15, 2027) and for additives used to reformulate ingestible drugs (January 18, 2028).

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title to reflect the addition of rule promulgation requirements and disclosure obligations.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Agriculture and Wildlife committee; CR filed

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors