California Republican James Gallagher, the GOP’s former Assembly leader, has often accused the state’s progressive lawmakers of heavy-handed government intrusion, but this year he added his name to a legislative push for healthier school meals.
His party followed suit, with all but one Republican voting to send a bill to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom that would put into law a of ultraprocessed foods, followed by a public school ban on those deemed most concerning. And while it was California Democrats who led the passage of the nation’s first state-level bans on and , now conservative state lawmakers across the country have embraced new scrutiny of Americans’ food as the Trump administration makes a push to
“We see with our kids that they don’t have access to necessarily the best food in their schools,” said Gallagher, a father of five who as the GOP leader co-authored the recent bill with Democratic Assembly member Jesse Gabriel. “And we see it all around us, not just in California but throughout our country, that our kids are suffering from an epidemic of obesity.”
The speed at which improving the healthfulness of America’s food has become a bipartisan concern has come as a surprise to some health policy experts, given Republicans’ ardent criticism of such efforts in the past.
“It boggles the mind,” said Marion Nestle, a professor emerita at New York University who has studied food policy and nutrition for decades. “When Michelle Obama tried to make American kids healthy again, she was vilified by the right and accused of trying to exceed the government’s role, creating a nanny state, and all kinds of other things. And now the Republicans are doing it.”
While there is no standardized definition, ultraprocessed food generally refers to food that is industrially manufactured and contains ingredients not typically available in a home kitchen. These foods are often low in nutritional value and have high amounts of salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that more than half of Americans’ calories come from ultraprocessed foods.
have tied , including increased risk for heart attack, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and mental health problems. But some of the nation’s most influential food industry groups warn that California’s bill, if signed into law, could result in foods such as veggie burgers, canned tomatoes, and shredded cheese being labeled as ultraprocessed if they contain additives such as egg whites, citric acid, or corn starch.
“People view ultraprocessed foods as automatically bad,” said Dennis Albiani, a lobbyist for several of the . “Healthy and natural foods could be categorized as ultraprocessed food, and just that categorization would send confusion to consumers that they should avoid these healthy foods.”
At least 30 states — some of them deeply conservative — have passed or are considering restrictions on chemicals in food or food packaging, according to the Environmental Working Group, which co-sponsored the California bill. In March, Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey of thanked the Trump administration for “helping us launch this movement” when he signed legislation to outlaw several artificial dyes and additives from food sold in the state. And in August, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas when he signed legislation to require warning labels on foods containing certain additives or dyes.
Meanwhile, , including Florida, Idaho, and Oklahoma, have applied for and received waivers from the U.S. Agriculture Department to prevent food stamp recipients from purchasing soda and, in some cases, candy.
Kennedy, who is leading the MAHA movement, has asked the industry to phase out , is exploring that allows chemicals to enter the food supply without Food and Drug Administration approval, and is for ultraprocessed food, which he says is to blame for an epidemic of chronic disease.
Department of Health and Human Services press secretary Emily Hilliard declined to comment on the California bill but said in an email that Kennedy “encourages state leaders to advance policies that prioritize children’s health, support informed decision-making by families, and promote access to healthier choices.” Some health experts whether the Trump administration is serious about cracking down on the food industry, especially after the , released this month, appeared to back away from direct restrictions on pesticides and ultraprocessed foods.
California has a mixed record on attempts to limit what consumers eat and drink. The Democratic-controlled legislature has approved bans and in recent years. But in the face of beverage industry opposition it has been unable to outlaw jumbo-size sugary drinks or tax sodas and other sugary beverages that can increase the risk of weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cavities. At the time, Gallagher “the kind of government intrusion that people can’t stand,” but he has since has convinced him that additives should be taken out of children’s food.
Newsom has 30 days from Sept. 12 to sign or veto the ultraprocessed-food measure. Bill supporters hope the state regulations will have a ripple effect across the nation’s food industry, prompting manufacturers to reformulate their products. California public schools serve almost .
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