Health·Food and drinkGavin Newsom flexes his own ‘MAHA’ plan as he moves to crack down on ultracessed foods in school lunchBy Sophie AustinBy The Associated PressBy Sophie AustinBy The Associated Press ernor Gavin Newsom speaks at Belvedere Middle School before signing legislation aimed at imving kids' nutrition and health across California on October 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Mario Tama/Getty ImagesCalifornia will phase out certain ultracessed foods from school meals over the next decade under a first-in-the-nation law signed Wednesday by Gov.
Gavin Newsom. The law seeks to define ultracessed foods, the often super-tasty ducts 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 “ultracessed 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 viding the “foods of concern” to schools by 2032.
Newsom, flanked by first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and state lawmakers, signed the measure at a middle school in Los Angeles.
“California has never waited for Washington or anyone else to lead on kids’ health — we’ve been out front for years, removing harmful additives and imving school nutrition,” Newsom said in a statement.
“This first-in-the-nation law builds on that work to make sure every California student has access to healthy, delicious meals that help them thrive.” Newsom issued an executive order earlier this year requiring the Department of Public Health to vide recommendations by April on limiting harms from ultracessed 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 ultracessed foods, including artificial dyes and controversial additives.
Americans get more than half their calories from ultracessed foods, which have been linked to a host of health blems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
However, studies haven’t been able to ve that the foods directly cause those chronic health blems. Defining ultracessed foods Defining ultracessed foods has been tricky.
The most common definition is based on the four-tier Nova system developed by Brazilian reers that classifies foods according to the amount of cessing they undergo.
Reers often describe ultracessed foods as the types of ducts that contain industrially made ingredients that you won’t find in a kitchen.
But some highly cessed foods –— think tofu, certain types of whole-grain bread and infant formula – can be healthful.
And it’s not whether it’s the cessing of the foods or the combination of nutrients such as sugar, fat and salt that leads to poor health outcomes. U.S.
health officials recently launched an effort to come up with a federal definition of ultracessed foods, saying there are concerns over whether current definitions “accurately capture” the range of foods that may affect health.
Some say California’s ban goes too far Some critics of the ban say it is too broad and could unintentionally limit access to nutritious foods.
“For foods served in schools, food and beverage manufacturers meet the rigorous unique safety and nutrition standards set by the USDA and state agencies,” John Hewitt with the Consumer Brands Association said in a statement.
He added the brands the association represents are committed to “viding safe, nutritious and convenient” ducts.
The California School Boards Association is concerned the cost for districts to phase out these foods in the next few years. There is no extra money attached to the bill.
“You’re borrowing money from other areas of need to pay for this new mandate,” spokesperson Troy Flint said.
The law could raise costs for school districts by an unknown amount by potentially making them purchase more expensive options, according to an analysis by the Senate Appriations Committee.
Some districts already overhauling school s 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 eight years ago. He fully supports the ban.
“It was really during COVID that I started to think where we were purchasing our duce from and going to those farmers who were also struggling,” he said.
Now they don’t serve any ultracessed foods, and all their items are organic and sourced within 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 s, he said.
Many of their dishes are made from scratch or semi-made, including an item that has long been a staple in U.S. school cafeterias: pizza.
Pizza is also a option for students in the Western Placer Unified district northeast of Sacramento, where Director of Food Services Christina Lawson has spent the past few years introducing more meals made from scratch to their school s.
She estimates up to 60% of school s in the district are made up of dishes made from scratch, up from 5% three years ago.
They also purchase more foods locally to prepare a wide variety of items, including buffalo chicken quesadillas using tortillas made in nearby Nevada City.
“I’m really excited this new law because it will just make it where there’s even more options and even more variety and even better ducts that we can offer our students,” Lawson said.
“Because variety is the number one thing our students are looking for.” Dr.
Ravinder Khaira, a pediatrician in Sacramento who supports the law, said at a legislative hearing that the ban will help respond to a surge of chronic conditions in children fueled by poor nutrition.
“Children deserve real access to food that is nutritious and supports their physical, emotional and cognitive development,” Khaira said.
“Schools should be safe havens, not a source of chronic disease.” —- Associated Press health writer JoNel Aleccia in Temecula, California, contributed.Fortune Global Forum returns Oct.
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