California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act last week, banning ultra-processed foods of concern from K-12 public school meals by 2035.
While California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, more than 1 in 5 Californians, or about 8.8 million, currently struggle with food insecurity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people experiencing food insecurity have limited or uncertain access to enough food to lead a healthy, active life.
Michael Goran, a professor of Pediatrics and Population and Public Health Sciences at USC, researched ultra-processed food intake implications and reported that “a diet composed of a high amount of ultra-processed foods can contribute to glucose dysregulation and insulin resistance, which may lead to prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.”
California’s public schools serve nearly 1 billion meals to kids each year, according to the Legislative Analysts’ Office. For many, the meals they receive at school are the only meals they can count on in a day, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement.
“This makes the quality of that food all the more important,” Siebel Newsom said. “By removing the most concerning ultra-processed foods, we’re helping children stay nourished, focused, and ready to learn.”
Cary Kreutzer, a professor at USC and director of the master’s in nutrition, healthspan and longevity program, said she “loves that we’re taking a stand on keeping our kids healthy and teaching them good habits while they’re young.”
Kreutzer expressed concern about how consumers reject “earthy” food colorings, and mentioned how Trix cereal used food colorings from beet fruits for a bit before switching back to brightly colored processed food dyes because buyers preferred the latter.
Kreutzer called for lawmakers to work with schools to teach kids about healthier foods while making the switch to fresher ingredients. She referenced a story in which she watched students throw away hummus because they thought it looked gross, opting for less healthy alternatives such as Uncrustables and Pop-Tarts.
“I think the hope of lawmakers is that if we teach kids how to eat and make healthier food choices, that maybe that will rub off, as they enter their adult years,” Kreutzer said. “They’re going to continue to make healthier choices and give up the ultra-processed foods and the food colorings and all of that.”
According to a news release from the governor’s office, the law is the first of its kind in the country and builds on California’s record of being at the forefront of children’s health and well-being.
The bill will require the State Department of Public Health to define ultra-processed foods by 2028 and subsequently phase them out of schools by 2035.
The definition will “consider specified factors based on reputable, peer-reviewed scientific evidence,” according to the bill. “These factors include substances or groups of substances linked to health harms or adverse health consequences.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District, which serves about 557,000 students across more than 1,000 schools, provides food to students for free under California’s universal meals policy.
“Los Angeles Unified proudly leads California in school nutrition, already ensuring that no artificial colors, artificial flavors (including MSG), nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and synthetic sources of trans fat are included in our meals,” LAUSD said in a statement to Annenberg Media. “Every day, our students enjoy locally sourced fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, our dedicated food service staff work hard to continually develop nutritious and flavorful options to help kids embrace healthy eating.”
The CDC reports that approximately one in five U.S. children and adolescents have obesity. A recent report demonstrated that children in the United States get nearly two-thirds of their calories from ultra-processed foods packed full of additives and high-calorie sugars, salt, and fat.
California’s Department of Public Health will create these lists of foods by 2028, so that schools can prepare for the ban to take effect.
Newsom said in a statement that “California has never waited for Washington or anyone else to lead on kids’ health.”
Siebel Newsom agreed, saying that while Washington debates how to ‘make America healthy again,’ they need not look any further than California.