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California shoppers may soon see a new label on grocery shelves — designed to highlight less processed foods.
Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel introduced the bill after the proposal on Wednesday, according to a press release shared with Fox News Digital.
The law, AB 2244, would establish a “California Certified” mark that manufacturers can place on products that meet standards for not being highly processed foods (UPFs).
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The law would also require grocery stores to prominently display branded products in high-traffic areas, making it easier for shoppers to find those items.
Gabriel’s office described the brand as a “world-first” label.
Highly processed foods often contain preservatives, additives and flavor enhancers that can contribute to weight loss. (Stock)
The seal will not allow consumers to make informed decisions, but it may put pressure on manufacturers to reformulate their products to suit.
The bill defines highly processed foods as those that contain certain additives, such as emulsifiers and preservatives, as well as high levels of sugar, salt or fat.
“Parents should not need a Ph.D. in chemistry to understand what they are feeding their children,” Gabriel said in the release.
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“While Washington, DC, is paralyzed by inaction, California is stepping up to protect our children and address the health risks associated with highly processed foods.”
Gabriel said he hopes that this bill will be on the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom in late summer, according to STAT News.
“While Washington, DC is paralyzed by unemployment, California is stepping up to protect our children and address the health risks associated with highly processed foods,” said Gabriel, seen at right. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Gabriel said the bill “provides a market-based solution to address the dangers of highly processed foods.”
He added, “[It] it strengthens consumer choice, drives innovation and promotes healthy options across the food chain – without banning any products.”
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Gabriel told Politico that the bill is the “next logical step” in dealing with highly processed foods in grocery stores.
“But we do it in a way that strengthens consumer choice and encourages innovation,” he added.
The proposed “California Certified” label under AB 2244 aims to give consumers a clear way to distinguish non-highly processed foods while browsing grocery store shelves. (Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)
Although the definition of UPFs is debated, they are generally understood as foods that enter many industrial processes.
These procedures make them “stable for use,” Dr. Jeffrey Kraft, a bariatric surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey, previously told Fox News Digital.
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“Processed food is not natural food,” he said. “They’ve gone through a factory or been chemically altered to last longer on the shelf.”
Kraft added, “They are almost always combined with other unhealthy ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup, emulsifiers and hydrogenated oils.”
The law aims to balance consumer choice and industry innovation by maintaining voluntary participation by producers. (Stock)
The lack of a “clear universal standard” for what UPF is “leaves room for officials to decide what’s realistic,” said California-based chef Andrew Gruel.
“I do everything transparently, and I encourage it, but that has to come from clear and honest ingredient labeling, not some paid stamp that reduces food to a government label,” Gruel told Fox News Digital.
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He added, “I hope that this label will be hijacked by the big food manufacturers and Doritos will be considered unprocessed food in some strange sense, like the chips that were called heart healthy.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Consumer Brands Association for comment.
