California lawmakers are advancing a bill that would phase out school meal ingredients linked to serious health risks like cancer, diabetes, and reproductive harm, setting the stage for the nation’s first legal definition of harmful ultraprocessed foods.
Sandee LaMotte reports for CNN.
In short:
- California’s Assembly passed AB 1264, which would require state experts to define the most dangerous ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) by July 2026, with the aim of removing them from school meals by 2035.
- The bill proposes criteria such as links to chronic diseases, banned additives, and hyperpalatability to identify "particularly harmful" UPFs and mandates that schools begin phasing them out starting in 2028.
- The legislation faces opposition from food industry lobbyists, but supporters argue it will improve child nutrition and public health, citing early success stories from districts like Morgan Hill.
Key quote:
“While the timeline may appear long, we think that change is going to happen right away. We’re already seeing schools take action, and this bill is going to help put pedal to the metal on getting schools to make that shift way ahead of 2032."
— Bernadette Del Chiaro, the senior vice president for California at the Environmental Working Group
Why this matters:
Ultraprocessed foods dominate school menus and grocery shelves across the country. These foods are engineered for taste and shelf life but often rely on additives, synthetic ingredients, and high levels of sugar, salt, and fat — substances increasingly tied to serious health problems. Research links frequent UPF consumption to elevated risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even mental health disorders. Kids, who consume much of their daily nutrition at school, are especially vulnerable. Many UPFs also contain additives banned or restricted in other countries, exposing U.S. children to risks deemed unacceptable elsewhere. As California steps forward to regulate UPFs in school meals, it sets a precedent that could ripple nationwide, pushing other states to confront the health consequences of food industry practices.
Related:
