New California law aims to improve school nutrition by phasing out some ultraprocessed foods

SACRAMENTO Calif AP California will phase out certain ultraprocessed 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 ultraprocessed foods the often super-tasty products typically full of sugar salt and unhealthy fats The statute requires the state s Department of Inhabitants Healthcare to adopt rules by mid- defining ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods Schools have to start phasing out those foods by July and districts will be barred from selling them for breakfast or lunch by July Vendors will be banned from providing the foods of concern to schools by 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 soundness we ve been out front for years removing harmful additives and improving school nutrition Newsom commented in a comment This first-in-the-nation law builds on that work to make sure every California trainee has access to healthy delicious meals that help them thrive Newsom issued an executive order earlier this year requiring the Department of Community Physical condition to provide recommendations by April on limiting harms from ultraprocessed foods The Democratic governor signed a law in banning certain synthetic food dyes from school meals Legislatures across the country have introduced more than bills in current months seeking to ban or require labeling of chemicals that make up numerous ultraprocessed foods including artificial dyes and controversial additives Americans get more than half their calories from ultraprocessed foods which have been linked to a host of fitness problems including obesity diabetes and heart infection However studies haven t been able to prove that the foods directly cause those chronic wellbeing problems Defining ultraprocessed foods Defining ultraprocessed foods has been tricky The the bulk common definition is based on the four-tier Nova system developed by Brazilian researchers that classifies foods according to the amount of processing they undergo Researchers often describe ultraprocessed foods as the types of products that contain industrially made ingredients that you won t find in a home kitchen But certain highly processed foods think tofu certain types of whole-grain bread and infant formula can be healthful And it s not clear whether it s the processing of the foods or the combination of nutrients such as sugar fat and salt that leads to poor fitness outcomes U S robustness leaders in recent months launched an effort to come up with a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods saying there are concerns over whether current definitions accurately capture the range of foods that may affect wellbeing Specific say California s ban goes too far Several 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 announced in a message He added the brands the association represents are committed to providing safe nutritious and convenient products The California School Boards Association is concerned about the cost for districts to phase out these foods in the next insufficient 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 stated 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 Appropriations Committee Several districts already overhauling school menus Chosen 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 aspirant nutrition at the Morgan Hill Unified School District about eight years ago He fully supports the ban It was really during COVID that I started to think about where we were purchasing our produce from and going to those farmers who were also struggling he noted Now they don t serve any ultraprocessed foods and all their items are organic and sourced within about miles kilometers of the district Jochner declared They removed sugary cereals fruit juices and flavored milks and deep-fried foods such as chicken nuggets and tater tots from their menus he disclosed A great number of of their dishes are made from scratch or semi-homemade including an item that has long been a staple in U S school cafeterias pizza Pizza is also a popular option for students in the Western Placer Unified district northeast of Sacramento where Director of Food Services Christina Lawson has spent the past limited years introducing more meals made from scratch to their school menus She estimates up to of school menus in the district are made up of dishes made from scratch up from about 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 about this new law because it will just make it where there s even more options and even more variety and even better products that we can offer our students Lawson reported Because variety is the number one thing our students are looking for Dr Ravinder Khaira a pediatrician in Sacramento who supports the law explained 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 improvement Khaira reported Schools should be safe havens not a source of chronic malady - Associated Press fitness writer JoNel Aleccia in Temecula California contributed Source