This bill establishes a new Panel on Food Safety within the Department of Public Health and Human Services, consisting of six members appointed by the governor and the speaker of the house. The panel's primary responsibilities include studying the cumulative effects of food additives and color additives, setting safe cumulative amounts based on toxicity data, and advising the department on limiting the availability of foods containing harmful additives. The panel will meet quarterly and is required to submit annual reports to the department and biennial reports to the environmental quality council, ensuring public access to these reports.

Additionally, the bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to empower the Department of Public Health and Human Services to adopt and enforce rules regarding food additives and color additives identified by the panel as having negative effects. It includes provisions for the department to limit the availability of such foods and outlines the process for establishing regulations based on the panel's recommendations. The bill also specifies that the panel may request information from relevant parties to assess current usage of food additives, thereby enhancing the state's ability to protect public health through informed regulatory actions.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 50-1-202, 50-31-108, 50-31-109, 80-1-104