A new law will make California the first state to phase some ultraprocessed food out of school meals.
The law creates a separate definition for “ultraprocessed food of concern,” and those products are the target of the new ban.
Schools are required to start phasing out these ultraprocessed foods by 2029 and to fully do so by 2035.
The moves have come amid renewed interest from states and the federal government in making school meals more nutritious.
But Gabriel said California’s efforts to improve school meals predate Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
California will be the first state to gradually remove certain highly processed foods from school meals due to a new law.
Gov. On Wednesday, Gavin Newsom signed a law that forbids public schools from providing breakfasts or lunches to students that contain what it refers to as “ultraprocessed foods of concern.”. The policy stipulates that the change must occur within ten years.
These foods are defined as those that present the highest risks to consumers based on scientific evidence of negative health outcomes. By June 2028, the state Public Health Department is to identify which specific products fall under this definition.
In a phone interview, state Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat who introduced the legislation, stated, “There is a growing awareness, particularly among millennial parents like myself, about how what we feed our kids is not important just to their physical health but also so deeply connected to their mental health and their emotional well-being.”. Like me, many parents are in the Legislature, and it turns out that parents have similar goals regardless of their political affiliation—Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, or progressives. “.”.
With support from both parties, the bill was approved by the Legislature in September.
“Regardless of our political inclinations, it’s a movement that should bring us all together,” Newsom stated during a signing ceremony held at Belvedere Middle School in Los Angeles.
Ultraprocessed foods, which are generally defined as foods with few whole ingredients, account for almost 62% of the calories consumed by children and adolescents in the United States on average. A high intake of these foods has been connected to a number of detrimental health effects, including cancer, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
Since there isn’t a single, accepted definition of what constitutes an ultraprocessed food, California’s new law creates its own: foods and beverages are deemed “ultraprocessed” if they have high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar, as well as one or more additives (like thickeners, colorings, stabilizers, or nonnutritive sweeteners).
Under the law, “ultraprocessed food of concern” is defined differently, and the new ban targets those products.
According to the law, the state health department must assess foods’ potential for addiction, scientific proof of their health hazards, and any prior prohibitions, restrictions, or warning labels in other states or nations in order to decide which products fit into that category.
By 2029, schools must begin to phase out these highly processed foods, and by 2035, they must do so entirely.
According to Gabriel, “we discovered that for those school districts that have already made the shift, serving kids real, healthy food does not cost them more, they were actually saving money.”.
In recent years, he has led other pieces of legislation that have resulted in California banning certain additives from foods sold in the state and outlawing the use of some artificial dyes in school meals.
An executive order issued by Newsom in January urged state agencies to take tough measures against artificial dyes and ultraprocessed foods.
The actions were taken as the federal government and states showed renewed interest in improving the nutritional value of school meals. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has pushed for laws restricting the use of artificial dyes or ultraprocessed foods in school meals.
Governor of West Virginia. In March, Patrick Morrisey signed legislation outlawing seven artificial dyes from school meals, and he gave Kennedy credit for his influence. In August, Kennedy was present when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation that forbids school districts from offering meals at reduced or no cost that include specific additives.
However, Gabriel noted that California’s initiatives to enhance school meals existed before Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
“In California, we have been working to safeguard children’s health since before anyone even heard of them,” he stated.
In addition, Newsom said at Wednesday’s signing ceremony that California was at the forefront.
When we started discussing Skittles, nobody got it. He claimed that everyone became offended and upset for some reason. “Everyone is now vying for attention, including Louisiana and other conservative states, which is both fascinating and, in my opinion, fantastic. “”.
