Gov. Gavin Newsom targeted food additives and access to fresh fruits and vegetables in an executive order on Friday. He directed the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to investigate the harms of ultraprocessed foods.
The order follows two bills signed into law on legislative food dyes, including a September ban on six chemical food dyes in K-12 school lunches.
In 2023, California passed a bill initially dubbed a ‘skittles ban,’ targeting five ingredients commonly found in sugary foods. The lawmaker had removed titanium dioxide due to food industry opposition. At the time, the National Confectioners Association said the vote was “based on soundbites rather than science.”
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, author of the two bills, said he’s looking forward to working with the governor on the directive and applauded the state for being a “roadmap for everyone who wants to protect American consumers.”
The Center for Science in the Public Interest supported the order with similar praise, having supported the food dye bans. CSPI suggested California enact warning labels on ultraprocessed foods and supported ways to close the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) "loophole" by requiring companies to publicly disclose use of GRAS additives.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture posted on X that the order “holds up [the] CDFA Farm to School program as [a] prime example of healthy, nutritious foods provided to California students,” and noted that the department will lead a new food access program.
Governor Newsom executive order to limit ultra-processed foods and dyes holds up CDFA Farm to School program as prime example of healthy, nutritious foods provided to California students. Also, CDFA to oversee new program to improve food access.
— Calif Food and Ag (@CDFAnews) January 3, 2025
More: https://t.co/mICQaFkzYw pic.twitter.com/BU9P95REA7
John Hewitt, Consumer Brands Association senior vice president of state affairs, said in a statement that industry looks forward to working with state and federal agencies to deliver nutritious food, while warning that foods should be reviewed holistically.
"Attempting to classify foods as unhealthy simply because they are processed, or demonizing food by ignoring its full nutrient content, could be misleading to consumers and exacerbate health disparities," Hewitt wrote in a statement to Agri-Pulse.
The governor also recommends reducing processed foods in Medi-Cal plans and at hospitals, instead promoting healthy foods. The order calls for CDPH to coordinate with CDFA on expanding healthy school food programs.
The governor’s office cited the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Advisory Report, which linked diet to chronic health issues. The same report found insufficient data to link ultraprocessed foods to certain health outcomes. The committee expressed difficulty in accessing substantial nutritional data, especially given the lack of a definition for ultraprocessed foods.
