NJ Bill Could Ban Gum Over Microplastic Concerns

A proposed legislative measure in New Jersey could lead to chewing gum being removed from store shelves due to concerns about microplastics. Introduced in September, the bill, titled the Protecting Against Microplastics Act, mandates that companies disclose the presence of microplastics in various products, including chewing gum, tea bags, and talcum powder. Microplastics are defined as synthetic plastic particles no larger than five millimeters added during manufacturing.

Manufacturers would be given a three-year compliance period. The first year requires product labeling, followed by more prominent warnings in the second year. By the third year, products containing targeted microplastics would be prohibited from sale in New Jersey. This proposal has drawn criticism from gum consumers. Despite these concerns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that there is currently no scientific evidence indicating that microplastic levels found in food pose a risk to human health.

If approved, the bill would allocate $3 million for research, pollution reduction, and enforcement. The Department of Environmental Protection would receive $2.5 million for program implementation and microplastics research, while the Department of Law and Public Safety would receive $500,000 for enforcement of labeling requirements and the potential sales ban. The bill is currently under consideration by a state Assembly committee.