Newsom signs legislation aimed at making Californians healthier

California legislators take particular interest in consumer awareness of ultraprocessed foods and advertising tobacco products to minors.SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — The governor of California signed a slate of legislation Monday intended to increase signage on consumer goods, including ultraprocessed foods and flavored tobacco products.Governor Gavin Newsom approved several bills, including AB 2244 — put forward by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat — for a “California certified” seal that food manufacturers could place on their products. They’d have to meet certain criteria to have the seal, ensuring that products are not ultraprocessed.“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,” Gabriel said in a statement. “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.”The governor’s office says the legislation is a step forward for the state’s ongoing efforts to halt the potential harm of ultraprocessed foods, such as packaged cereals and chips with flavor additives, sodas, frozen pizzas and other ready-to-eat frozen food.Health effects from industrialized and chemically preserved food can include cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders and cancer.The bill builds on 2025’s Assembly Bill 1264, which will remove ultraprocessed foods from California schools by July 1, 2035.Newsom also signed AB 1731, which establishes the California Healthy Food Procurement Fund Program within the Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm to Fork.Introduced by Democrat Assemblymember Lori Wilson of Suisun City, the program’s purpose is to create a vetted list of vendors that will bring minimally processed, California-grown foods into K-12 schools. The program is scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 2028.SB 869 and SB 977, introduced by Democrat San Diego Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, require chain restaurants to provide at least one children’s meal of no more than 550 calories and two servings of either fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains and display warning icons next to menu items with high sugar content.Newsom also signed a slate of bills regulating tobacco products, including Thousand Oaks Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s AB 762, making it illegal in California to sell or manufacture single-use, not rechargeable vaping devices starting Jan. 1, 2027.AB 2667, by Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, an Alturas Republican, bans the sale of vapes that look like other products, such as highlighters or pens, and makes it easier for schools to dispose of confiscated vapes.Additionally, SB 1124, introduced by Pico Rivera Democrat Senator Bob Archuleta, requires tobacco retailers to display signage about lung cancer screening information starting in 2028.Newsom also signed a bill that bans the sale of over-the-counter diet pills or dietary supplements for weight loss or building muscle to people under 18 years old.AB 2030, by Democrat Long Beach Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, was introduced because many of the products are unregulated and contain potentially harmful substances, like steroids.The governor also signed SB 1089, also known as the Preventive Treatment Health Care Act**,** introduced by South Bay Democrat Senator Laura Richardson. The bill allows the California Health and Human Services Agency to form partnerships with FDA-approved GLP-1 manufacturers in order to lower costs, increase competition and improve the supply for weight-loss medications.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads