Signed by Governor Jeff Landry

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that prohibits certain additives in school meals, requires ingredient disclosures and warnings in food products and restaurants, and mandates nutrition education for healthcare providers in Louisiana.

Highlights:

• Repeals School Nutrition Standards (Sec. §197.2(B)):

• Public and state-funded nonpublic schools may not serve foods or beverages containing certain harmful additives during school hours or aftercare programs; and

• Applies to ingredients like Red Dye 40, BHA, BHT, Aspartame, Sucralose, etc.

• Requires Healthcare Continuing Education physicians, PAs, and APRNs in fields such as pediatrics, internal medicine, OB/GYN, etc., must complete 1 hour of nutrition and metabolic health education every 4 years (Sec. §37:1270(A)(8)(b), §37:920(G)).

• Requires ingredient labeling on food manufacturers must label food products containing a long list of harmful ingredients, with QR codes linking to disclosures (e.g., BHT, Sucralose, Red Dye 3) (Sec. §40:661).

• Requires seed oil disclosure at Restaurants and food service establishments must notify patrons when food may contain seed oils like soybean or canola oil (Sec. §40:662).

• Establishes that sanitary code enforcement violations of labeling or seed oil disclosure rules are treated as violations of the state Sanitary Code (Sec. §40:661(D), §40:662(C)).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect January 1, 2028 (Sec. §40:661(D), §40:662(C)).

Full Bill Text