(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, California is making headlines for taking a positive step toward healthier school lunches. The state just became the first in the nation to pass a law that defines ultra-processed foods and plans to ban the worst ones from school meals.
The Real Food, Healthy Kids Act defines what counts as an ultra-processed food, something that hasn’t officially been done before.
It defines ultra-processed food as that which contains artificial or “non-natural” additives - things you wouldn’t find in real or minimally processed foods. That includes emulsifiers that help mix oil and water in things like salad dressings, stabilizers and thickeners that change texture, and flavor enhancers that intensify or imitate natural flavors.
It also includes products with certain artificial dyes, like Red No. 40, foods high in saturated fat, salt, or added sugar; and foods with nonnutritive sweeteners – meaning artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose that don’t add nutrition.
Now, California’s plan is to identify these foods and then gradually remove them from school cafeterias.
It won’t happen right away. The first step is for California’s Department of Public Health to decide which foods are considered “ultraprocessed foods of concern”. That’s expected by 2028. Schools will begin phasing them out a year later. By 2035, those foods will be completely gone from California schools.
Now, a CDC report shows that kids in the U.S. get almost two-thirds of their calories from ultra-processed foods. These foods are engineered to hit what’s called the “bliss point” - that perfect mix of sugar, salt, and fat that keeps us wanting more. They’re designed to taste great, but are low in fiber and real, whole ingredients. Eating too much of them has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and even early death.
For kids, these foods can spike blood sugar, cause inflammation, and lead to weight gain. They’ve also been linked to asthma and obesity. And because of how they affect the brain’s reward system, they can actually create cravings that feel a lot like addiction.
California’s new law won’t eliminate every processed food, but it targets the worst offenders. The goal is to make it easier for kids to eat real, whole foods that help them grow, stay healthy, and learn.
This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show
Katy Butler was just in 7th grade when relentless bullying by classmates left her with painful memories - but also the drive to become a powerful anti-bullying advocate. Dr. Partha Nandi, MD, takes on this urgent issue, exploring why so many kids face bullying and how it affects their lives. Psychiatrist Dr. Ben Biermann explains why bullying is so common, the role of bystanders, and what parents can do to step in. Tune in this Monday, October 13, at 2:30 AM.
