New California law phases out ultraprocessed foods in schools

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California will phase out certain ultraprocessed foods from school meals over the next decade under a first-in-the-nation law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The law seeks to define ultraprocessed foods, the often super-tasty products typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. The legislation requires the state’s Department of Public Health to adopt rules by mid-2028 defining “ultraprocessed foods of concern” and “restricted school foods.”

Schools have to start phasing out those foods by July 2029, and districts will be barred from selling them for breakfast or lunch by July 2035. Vendors will be banned from providing the “foods of concern” to schools by 2032.

Newsom signed the measure at a local middle school in Los Angeles.

Newsom issued an executive order earlier this year requiring the Department of Public Health to provide recommendations by April on limiting harms from ultraprocessed foods. The Democratic governor signed a law in 2023 banning certain synthetic food dyes from school meals.

Legislatures across the country have introduced more than 100 bills in recent months seeking to ban or require labeling of chemicals that make up many ultraprocessed foods, including artificial dyes and controversial additives.

Americans get more than half their calories from ultraprocessed foods, which have been linked to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. However, studies haven’t been able to prove that the foods directly cause those chronic health problems.

Some school districts in California are already phasing out foods the law seeks to ban. Michael Jochner spent years working as a chef before taking over as director of student nutrition at the Morgan Hill Unified School District about eight years ago. He fully supports the ban.

Now they don’t serve any ultraprocessed foods, and all their items are organic and sourced within about 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the district, Jochner said. They removed sugary cereals, fruit juices and flavored milks, and deep-fried foods such as chicken nuggets and tater tots from their menus, he said.

This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.

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[Exterior of the cafeteria at Britton Middle School]

[Alexandria Noriega preparing salads]

Michael Jochner (interview): “Assembly Bill 1264 will identify ultra processed foods you know based on science, and it will allow for school districts to purchase food items that are not processed with those harmful ingredients.”

[Cafeteria worker Mark Pagaran preparing pizza]

Michael Jochner (interview): “I stand with Morgan Hill Unified School District in full support of 1264. I think we can’t do it fast enough. We’re raising the future leaders, and we should be feeding them things that are not harming them.”

[Students picking up food items in the cafeteria]

Michael Jochner (interview): “At Morgan Hill, you’re not gonna find flavored milks, you’re not gonna find fruit juices, you will not find chicken nuggets, you won’t find frozen burritos, and you’re not gonna find pizzas wrapped in plastic.”

[Cafeteria worker Mark Pagaran putting out pizza slices in a display case]

Michael Jochner (interview): “We are now scratch cooking 70 to 75 percent of every entree. We are sourcing a hundred percent of all of our fruits and vegetables from local and organic farms that are roughly between 30 and 50 miles from Morgan Hill.”

[Alexandria Noriega and Tracy Cowell preparing salads]

Alexandria Noriega (interview): “Before we would be getting in frozen food, and so now that we have Chef Joel helping us out, I feel like it’s rewarding serving good quality food.”

[Noriega putting out broccoli pasta dish]

Alexandria Noriega (interview): “It’s really nice to see the scratch cooking going into our schools in our community because my children go to school here in this community and I get excited to tell them about everything we’re making now.”

[Cafeteria worker Tracy Cowell putting out fruits for students]

Laura Schmidt (interview): “So we know that ultra-processed foods lead to obesity, and obesity leads to all sorts of health outcomes like diabetes and heart disease. So the more that we can get kids off to a healthy start without eating ultra-processed foods, the better. And that’s what this law is about to do.”

[Noriega cutting broccoli]

Laura Schmidt (interview): “But we do have to think about how do we implement that in the school system. It’s more expensive to get healthy fruits and vegetables into schools. Some schools lack the kinds of kitchen facilities that are needed in order to cut and chop vegetables and deliver a healthier product.”

[Cafeteria worker Cowell putting out broccoli pasta dish]

This script was provided by The Associated Press.

The related lesson for this video will be published next Tuesday.