State Representative Brad Paquette has spoken on the Michigan House floor in favor of legislation that would prohibit schools in the state from serving foods containing certain unnatural ingredients.

House Bill 4369, which Paquette introduced, lays out a list of nine food additives that could not be part of school lunches. Paquette said this week, “It is the root that produces the fruit,” but in Michigan, “it is petroleum-based dye that produce the Fruit…Loop.”

Paquette says allowing fake ingredients in the food we give kids isn’t doing them any favors.

“This bill begins to address a blatant problem as many popular foods advertised to target children are distributed in schools and are paid for with taxpayer dollars but use ingredients that are not actually food,” Paquette said.

Paquette has advocated for natural ingredients in food, taking part in a protest over certain dyes used in Kellogg breakfast cereals last year. He says some of these substances only stunt the development of kids and lead to behavioral problems.

“A hard truth confronts us all, one that we cannot ignore. In Michigan classrooms, attention spans are going down and prescriptions for powerful medications are going up.”

Among the substances Paquette’s bill would ban from school meals are brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and dyes including Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, and Yellow 6.

If the bill passes, it will take effect in July of next year.