SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 28 signed Assembly Bill 2244 into state law, creating a non-ultra-processed food (UPF) label for products sold in California.
The California Legislature passed the bill earlier this year. According to the legislation, the California Department of Health will create a process where food producers apply to an accredited certification agent to use the non-ultra-processed certification label on their packaging. The law requires the state, on or before June 1, 2029, to accredit a certified agent to certify food products as non-ultra-processed certification.
There is no federal definition of processed food, but the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture have submitted proposed definitions for final review.
Newsom signed several other food-related bills into state law on September 28:
● From 2029, chain restaurants must display the added sugar symbol on their menus next to drinks with a high sugar content.
● Chain restaurants must provide at least one meal for children that meets specified nutritional standards, including that the meal contains no more than 550 calories and at least two servings of the specified type and amount of food. Chain restaurants that sell food to children, on or before July 1, 2027, must provide information to employees on how to comply with these requirements.
● The Office of Farm to Fork in the Department of Food and Agriculture will work with various entities, including the agricultural industry and other organizations that improve food access, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in California. The state will also develop a list of approved vendors that public institutions can use to purchase food products that are fully or minimally processed and grown or produced in California using climate-smart agricultural practices and climate-smart agricultural production systems.
“We need to be about health care, not disease care, recognizing that preventing disease is better than finding — and providing treatment,” Newsom said. “That’s why California is focused on making healthy food easily accessible, why we’re making healthier choices. California has never been afraid to challenge the status quo, and we’ll continue to innovate, try new things, and pave the way for other states.”