Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1264, making California the first state in the nation to ban ultra-processed foods in public schools. The law initiates a 10-year rollout, removing foods with chemical additives and ingredients linked to serious health conditions.

By 2029, schools must begin eliminating qualifying items from menus. By 2032, vendors will be barred from selling them on campus, and by 2035, no school meal program may serve them-except for narrow fundraising exemptions.

The law directs the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to define "ultra-processed foods of concern" by June 1, 2028, based on scientific evidence of links to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and behavioral or metabolic disorders.

"The idea that we have food from overseas that is processed and comes back here-when we have this abundance in our own backyard-seemed rather absurd," said Newsom at a press conference in Los Angeles.

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), author of the bill, emphasized its impact:

"This new law will help California students by bringing more real, healthy, nutritious foods into our cafeterias. It will incentivize manufacturers far beyond our borders."

The law builds on California's 2024 ban of synthetic dyes and preservatives in processed foods.

Groups like Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group celebrated the measure as a public health milestone, citing studies connecting ultra-processed diets to cancer, depression, heart disease, and addictive eating behaviors.

However, the law faces criticism from agriculture and food industry groups, who warn that definitions could unintentionally capture minimally processed items such as olive oil, nut butters, or canned fruits.

While some fruit organizations backed the bill, producers of cattle, dairy, eggs, poultry, wheat, along with the California Farm Bureau and Consumer Brands Association, remain opposed.

Groups like the California Grocers Association and American Beverage Association raised concerns about compliance costs, menu adjustments, and supply chain strain.

Gabriel's office stressed that these issues will be addressed through a regulatory process with public input, allowing flexibility during the decade-long transition.

Nutrition advocates hope California's policy will influence federal school meal standards and inspire similar legislation nationwide. The Center for Science in the Public Interest called AB1264 a "milestone in protecting children" from industrial food practices.

Still, the road ahead is complex. Cost, logistics, and scientific consensus will all shape how California enforces the nation's first school food law targeting ultra-processing.