Ever since Donald Trump's administration has taken over with RFK Jr as the Health Minister, the war over ultra processed food has been declared. Now, California will phase out certain ultra processed meals over the next decade under a first-in-the-nation law signed Wednesday by Gov Gavin Newsom. What Will This Law Do?The first and foremost job of this law is to define what ultra processed foods are. The law seeks to define it as 'super-tasty products typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats'. The law would require the state's Department of Public Health to adopt rules by mid-2028 defining 'ultra processed foods of concern' and 'restricted school foods'. When Will The Schools Start Fading Out Foods?The legislation requires the school to start phasing out these foods by July 2029, and districts will be barred from selling them for breakfast or lunch by July 2035. Vendors will also be banned from providing the 'foods of concern' to schools by 2032. Jennifer Siebel Newsom and state lawmakers also 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 improving 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 had issued an executive order earlier this year that required the Department of Public Health to provide recommendations by April on limiting harms from ultra processed foods. The Democratic governor also signed a law in 2023 that banned certain synthetic food dyes from school meals. War Against Ultra Processed FoodsLegislatures from across the country have introduced some 100 bills or even more in the recent months to ban or require the labelling of chemicals that make up the ultra processed foods. These labeling include artificial dyes and controversial additives. Why Is This Worrying?Americans get more than half of their calories from ultra processed foods. This has been linked to many health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. However, it has still not been studied much to prove that foods directly impact these chronic health issues.How To Define Ultra Processed Foods?Defining “ultra processed foods” has always been a bit complicated. The most widely used system, the Nova classification developed by Brazilian researchers, sorts foods into four categories based on how much they’re processed.In general, ultra processed foods are those that contain industrial ingredients you’d never find in a home kitchen—think additives, flavor enhancers, and preservatives. However, the line isn’t always clear. Some highly processed foods, like tofu, certain whole-grain breads, or infant formulas, can still be nutritious. Researchers continue to debate whether it’s the processing itself or the combination of sugar, fat, and salt that drives negative health outcomes.To settle the confusion, U.S. health officials have recently begun working on a federal definition of ultra processed foods, noting that current descriptions might not fully capture which foods pose real health concerns.
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