California Bill Would Ban Ultra-Processed Foods in Schools

• Earlier this year a bipartisan group of California lawmakers introduced AB 1264, which directs the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to define “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs) and phase out identified prohibited foods from school meals beginning January 1, 2028. The bill also targets certain additives from being used in schools, including Red 40. The bill broadly defines UPFs as foods that contain one or more of certain functional ingredients, such as colorants, flavorings, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and thickening agents. • If passed, beginning July 1, 2035, the bill would prohibit schools from offering meals that include “particularly harmful ultra-processed foods,” and from “selling food or beverages . . . containing those particularly harmful ultra-pro