California moves to restrict marketing of children’s meals and certify non-ultra-processed foods

California legislators have advanced bills that could reshape children’s meal marketing and create a certification scheme for non-ultra-processed foods, marking a significant shift in the state’s food policies aimed at improving nutrition transparency.

California lawmakers have advanced two closely watched food-policy bills that could reshape how restaurant chains market children’s meals and how packaged foods are labelled in the state. According to the legislative summaries, SB 977 would require chain restaurants with at least 20 California locations that offer children’s meals to include one option meeting strict nutrition limits, including caps on calories, sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, while also requiring at least two servings from approved food groups. Restaurants would not have to remove existing menu items, but they would need to mark a compliant option with a symbol and train staff on the rules by 1 July 2027.

AB 2244 would go further into the packaged-food aisle by creating a state-backed certification scheme for non-ultra-processed products. The bill would direct the California Department of Public Health to accredit certification agents, develop a standard seal and maintain a public directory of certified items. Related summaries say certified products could not be classified as ultra-processed under California law, and one report notes that large grocery stores may also be required to highlight such items. Governor Gavin Newsom has until 30 September to sign AB 2244, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature.

If enacted, the measures would add to California’s growing role as a national testing ground for food regulation. The restaurant bill centres on children’s nutrition, while the labelling proposal reflects a wider policy push to make heavily processed foods easier for consumers to identify. Together, the bills signal that the state is pressing ahead with efforts to influence both what families are offered and how food is presented on the shelf.