California Takes Decisive Action Toward Reducing Ultra-Processed Foods in School Meals

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bipartisan bill (AB 1264) that will phase certain ultra-processed foods out of school meals. This makes California the first state in the nation to take action on reducing students’ access to and consumption of a category of foods linked to rising rates of chronic diet-related diseases.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 62% of kids’ and teens’ daily calories come from ultra-processed foods. Limiting access to ultra-processed foods in schools—where nearly 30 million students eat breakfast and/or lunch five days a week—can be one of our nation’s most powerful public health interventions for protecting and improving the health of children.

More than a dozen states have introduced bills to limit or eliminate ultra-processed foods in schools. California’s bill stands out as one of the most comprehensive and practical. One of the barriers to date on enacting legislation on ultra-processed foods is that there is not currently a formal definition of ultra-processed foods. Through this bill, California will adopt a formal, science-based definition of “ultra-processed food” by June 2028. By July 2029, schools will need to begin to phase out foods that meet this definition from menus. By taking a phased approach to implementing these changes, California is giving school food service departments the runway they need to adjust their operations, train their staff, and adapt their menus to include more freshly prepared meals. 

This bill strengthens California’s comprehensive efforts to improve access to and the quality of school meals. The state was the first in the nation to make school breakfast and lunch free for all students. It was also the first to ban certain harmful additives in school meals. It’s invested in upgrading school kitchens so school food departments have the infrastructure they need to cook more meals from scratch. It’s built a farm-to-school program to help schools serve fresher, locally procured ingredients. Additionally, Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to explore ways to reduce the harms of ultra-processed foods and further investigate food dyes, with a special emphasis on school meals.

Labor challenges are consistently identified as a top barrier for districts tasked with implementing the state’s school food reforms. Critically, California has invested in building a skilled school food workforce that has the culinary knowledge needed to prepare fresh, appetizing, made-from-scratch meals. This investment resulted in the creation of Chef Ann Foundation’s Healthy School Food Pathway, which was the nation’s first registered pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and fellowship programs for school food professionals. The program has since expanded to Colorado and Virginia, and is slated to launch in other states in coming years. 

As more ultra-processed foods are phased out, fresh meals prepared with whole ingredients will need to take their place. Moving forward, we will be looking to California to continue investing in growing, upskilling, and fairly compensating the school food workforce; improving school kitchen infrastructure; and increasing local procurement of fresh ingredients. These investments will be key to replacing ultra-processed foods with healthy scratch-cooked meals.