If you live in California and have school-aged children, I bring good news. Recently, Governor Gavin Newsom signed new legislation that prohibits serving ultraprocessed foods to children in schools. It will be the California Department of Public Health that determines which products fall under that definition, with a deadline of June 2028. This legislation was introduced by Democratic Assembly member Jesse Gabriel, who expressed concern as a parent, and resonated with the concern of all parents regardless of their political ideology.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office as Secretary of Health and Human Services in February, and since his arrival, he has encouraged the legislation to take similar measures. Inspired by Kennedy, Patrick Morrisey, the governor of West Virginia, also banned 7 artificial dyes in school meals, while Governor Greg Abbott in Texas signed a law that prohibits school districts from providing free or reduced-price meals that contain certain additives.
Good news for California schools
With its enactment, California will become the first state to permanently remove certain foods from school meals. This new legislation was recently signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, which bans what are considered “ultra-processed foods of concern” in both breakfasts and lunches served at schools. The Department of Public Health of California will determine which products meet the definition, with a deadline of June 2028.
This initiative was proposed by Democratic Assembly member Jesse Gabriel, who explained, “There is a growing awareness, especially among millennial parents like me, that what we feed our children is not only important for their physical health but also deeply connected to their mental health and emotional well-being”.
Ultra-processed foods
This legislation arises from concerns over data indicating that nearly 62% of the calories consumed by children and adolescents in the United States come from ultra-processed foods. This new law includes its own definition of ultra-processed food: “It considers foods and drinks ‘ultra-processed’ if they contain one or more additives (such as stabilizers, thickeners, colorings, or non-nutritive sweeteners), higher levels of saturated fats, sodium, or added sugar”.
Schools will have to gradually eliminate these products by 2029, and completely by 2035. Gabriel stated, “We found that for those school districts that have already moved in this direction, not only does it not cost more to serve real and healthy food to children, but they were actually saving money”.
Other states are joining in
With the arrival of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services last February, other states have wanted to join this type of legislation, encouraged by Kennedy himself. In March, Patrick Morrisey, governor of West Virginia, signed a law that prohibits school meals from including 7 specific artificial dyes. On the other hand, Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, also signed a law that prohibits providing free or reduced-price meals containing certain additives in school districts.
“Nobody understood it when we started talking about Skittles. Somehow everyone got upset and offended,” he said. “Now everyone is jumping on each other – Louisiana, all these conservative states – trying to get into this, which is kind of interesting and I think wonderful at the same time,” Kennedy said.