Landmark Bill Would Give California Families a Simple Way to Spot Healthier Food
SACRAMENTO, CA — Help is on the way for millions of California families trying to decode ingredient lists on packaged foods. Earlier this week, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2244, landmark legislation designed to empower Californians to make better informed and healthier choices by increasing transparency around ultraprocessed foods. Authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D - Encino), AB 2244 would establish a first-in-the-nation “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” seal that food manufacturers could place on products that meet clear standards for not being ultra-processed. Modeled after the widely recognized “USDA Organic” label, the seal would provide consumers with a simple, trustworthy way to identify healthier options with a quick glance. The bill also would require grocery stores in California to display products bearing the “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” seal, thereby making it easier for busy families to find healthier foods quickly and conveniently.
“While Washington D.C. is paralyzed by inaction, Republicans and Democrats in California are joining forces to empower consumers to avoid harmful ultra-processed foods,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D - Encino). “Like the USDA Organic label, this new seal will provide consumers with clear, trustworthy information and make it easier for them to locate healthier foods that are free from harmful additives. Parents shouldn't need a Ph.D. in chemistry to understand what they’re feeding their kids. California began this movement three years ago by banning the most dangerous food additives, and this week’s vote is the next big step toward protecting our kids from harmful ultra-processed foods.”
A Bipartisan Coalition
AB 2244 passed the Legislature with the support of a broad bipartisan coalition that includes the Environmental Working Group, the California Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and the United Nurses Associations of California. The bill passed the State Senate on a vote of 32-0 and the State Assembly 72-0.
Building on California’s Track Record as the National Leader on Food Safety
AB 2244 is the latest in a series of Gabriel-authored laws that have reshaped how California – and increasingly the country – thinks about what’s in our food. Last year, Assemblymember Gabriel authored and Governor Newsom signed into law The Real Food, Healthy Kids Act (AB 1264, 2025), groundbreaking legislation which established the nation’s first statutory definition of ultra-processed foods and set up a process to ban harmful products from California schools. Assemblymember Gabriel also successfully passed into law two other landmark bills with bipartisan support: the California Food Safety Act (AB 418, 2023) and the California School Food Safety Act (AB 2316, 2024). Collectively, these laws have helped change the national conversation about food additives and ultra-processed foods, shaped federal policy, and inspired similar legislation across more than 30 other states.
The Science Behind the Seal
Research has increasingly linked high consumption of ultra-processed foods to serious health harms, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, reproductive harm, and other chronic conditions. Despite these risks, many consumers struggle to distinguish between minimally processed and highly processed products due to confusing labels and marketing practices.
AB 2244 would address this challenge by creating a simple certification program that would empower consumers with clear, front-of-package information and improve access to healthier options through strategic in-store placement. Modeled after the successful and widely recognized “USDA Organic” label, this legislation would establish a process overseen by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) where food manufacturers could apply to accredited certification agents to use the “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” label on their packaging, thereby indicating that a product meets clear standards for not being ultra-processed. This seal reflects the same commonsense, market-based approach that made the USDA Organic label a success: give manufacturers a voluntary standard worth meeting, and let consumers do the rest.
Voices Behind the Seal: What Experts and Community Leaders Are Saying
“Once again, California is leading the way by helping consumers identify and avoid UPFs. Last year, California enacted the nation’s first definition of UPFs. This week, California has taken the next step by helping consumers distinguish between processed foods, which are part of a healthy diet, and ultra processed foods, which are engineered to be overeaten. Our food should nourish us, not make us sick. EWG is so grateful that Assemblymember Gabriel is continuing to put our health first.” – Melanie Benesh, Vice President of Government Affairs, Environmental Working Group
“As a dietitian and nutrition researcher, it is clear to me that most people want to choose healthy foods for their kids. But nutrition information is not easy to interpret, and junk foods tend to dominate grocery store shelves. By clearly labeling foods non-ultra-processed and making them easy to find in stores, this bill sets people up for success.” – Alyssa J. Moran, ScD, MPH, Deputy Director, Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, University of Pennsylvania
“We have a long road ahead to a food supply free from harmful chemicals and a healthier America. In the meantime, we must give consumers the tools and knowledge to make healthier food choices. By creating a ‘Non-Ultraprocessed Certified’ seal to help identify healthier, non-UPF options, Assemblymember Gabriel continues to advance California’s leadership in the fight to reduce consumption of the hyperpalatable, addictive ultra-processed foods driving our nation’s chronic disease crisis.” – Todd Wagner, entrepreneur and co-founder of FoodFight USA
What’s Next
The legislation now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk, where he will have until September 30 to decide whether to veto the bill or sign it into law.