Yes, on January 3, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order aimed at reducing the consumption and purchase of ultra-processed foods in the state, as reported by the California Governor’s Office and Yahoo News.
This order directs state agencies to take several actions:
- Recommend potential measures to limit the health risks associated with ultra-processed foods and harmful ingredients.
- Continue investigating the adverse health effects of synthetic food dyes.
- Propose strategies to decrease the purchase of soda, candy, and other ultra-processed foods.
- Explore ways to enhance access to fresh, healthy foods and mitigate the impacts of “food deserts.”
- Identify opportunities to improve healthy school meal standards beyond national requirements.
Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in California
Although when researching further into ultra-processed food consumption, I personally could not find specific data comparing California’s ultra-processed food consumption to other states in America, but here’s some relevant information you should know about: