Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations for ultra-processed foods in California.

Highlights:

• Defines “ultraprocessed food” or “UPF” as any food or beverage that contains high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar, and one or more added substances defined by the FDA (Sec. 8).

• Requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations by July 1, 2026 that define “particularly harmful ultraprocessed food” (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Office, when defining particularly harmful UPF, to consider certain factors, including whether a substance or group of substances are linked to health harms or adverse health consequences (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Office to adopt a petitioning process by January 1, 2028 for the exemption of a food or ingredient from the particularly harmful UPF designation, and specifies that the petition must include a fee (Sec. 7).

• Requires school to begin to phase out particularly harmful UPFs by January 1, 2028 (Sec. 9).

• Prohibits vendors from offering particularly harmful UPFs to a school beginning January 1, 2032 (Sec. 9).

• Requires annual reporting from food vendors to the Office, beginning February 1, 2027, on each food product sold to a school in that year, including the amount and designation of each product sold (Sec. 9).

• Prohibits school districts, county superintendents of schools, or charter schools from offering a breakfast or lunch through a free meal program, or selling a food or beverage unless through a fundraiser, that includes particularly harmful UPFs, beginning July 1, 2035 (Sec. 2-4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations for ultra-processed foods in California.

Highlights:

• Defines “ultraprocessed food” or “UPF” as any food or beverage that contains high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar, and one or more added substances defined by the FDA (Sec. 8).

• Requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations by July 1, 2026 that define “particularly harmful ultraprocessed food” (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Office, when defining particularly harmful UPF, to consider certain factors, including whether a substance or group of substances are linked to health harms or adverse health consequences (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Office to adopt a petitioning process by January 1, 2028 for the exemption of a food or ingredient from the particularly harmful UPF designation, and specifies that the petition must include a fee (Sec. 7).

• Requires school to begin to phase out particularly harmful UPFs by January 1, 2028 (Sec. 9).

• Prohibits vendors from offering particularly harmful UPFs to a school beginning January 1, 2032 (Sec. 9).

• Requires annual reporting from food vendors to the Office, beginning February 1, 2027, on each food product sold to a school in that year, including the amount and designation of each product sold (Sec. 9).

• Prohibits school districts, county superintendents of schools, or charter schools from offering a breakfast or lunch through a free meal program, or selling a food or beverage unless through a fundraiser, that includes particularly harmful UPFs, beginning July 1, 2035 (Sec. 2-4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations for ultra-processed foods in California.

Highlights:

• Defines “ultraprocessed food” or “UPF” as any food or beverage that contains high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar, and one or more added substances defined by the FDA (Sec. 8).

• Requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations by July 1, 2026 that define “particularly harmful ultraprocessed food” (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Office, when defining particularly harmful UPF, to consider certain factors, including whether a substance or group of substances are linked to health harms or adverse health consequences (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Office to adopt a petitioning process by January 1, 2028 for the exemption of a food or ingredient from the particularly harmful UPF designation, and specifies that the petition must include a fee (Sec. 7).

• Requires school to begin to phase out particularly harmful UPFs by January 1, 2028 (Sec. 9).

• Prohibits vendors from offering particularly harmful UPFs to a school beginning January 1, 2032 (Sec. 9).

• Requires annual reporting from food vendors to the Office, beginning February 1, 2027, on each food product sold to a school in that year, including the amount and designation of each product sold (Sec. 9).

• Prohibits school districts, county superintendents of schools, or charter schools from offering a breakfast or lunch through a free meal program, or selling a food or beverage unless through a fundraiser, that includes particularly harmful UPFs, beginning July 1, 2035 (Sec. 2-4).

Full Bill Text