In September 2025, California - the most populated state in the U.S. and the fourth-largest economy in the world - took an incredible step forward for children's health and nutrition. It just
banned serving up ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in school meals, ensuring that kids will instead have access to healthy meals that promote their brains' development.Now that California has become a role model for how to prioritize kids' health, the rest of the nation must follow. Sign the petition to urge other states to ban ultra-processed foods from schools, too!Experts estimate that around
73% of the current supply of food in the U.S. is ultra-processed foods. These products include foods of convenience like packaged bread, soda, microwavable meals, and fast-food menu items. They are often
loaded with salt, sugars, and other additives, making them addictive and crowd-pleasing. But the same additives that give them such mass appeal also have horrible effects on public health.
Ultra-processed foods are actually quite tricky to define, but California's new law helps with that. Under the legislation, UPFs are identified as foods and beverages made with stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, propellants, colors and flavoring agents or enhancers, nonnutritive sweeteners, or surface-active agents. California additionally defines these foods as containing high levels of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar or or nonnutritive sweeteners.
It seems obvious that we shouldn't be feeding these kinds of low-quality foods to our kids.
At such a formative time in their lives, children need nutritious foods to fuel their growing brains. Studies have repeatedly shown that proper nutrition directly leads to improved focus and concentration in school, which in turn leads to improved educational results and future career prospects.
Schools often turn to ultra-processed foods out of convenience, because they don't require staff to source fresh, healthy ingredients or to cook genuine meals. But that's not a good enough reason to sacrifice our kids' well-being. We must protect kids - as well as safeguard their futures.
Sign the petition to demand that all U.S. states pass laws based on California's, and ban the use of ultra-processed foods in school meals!