AB 1264 Passed: California school meals are getting way more real!
Grab your confetti and cafeteria trays, because California just made history for kids’ health.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1264 (Gabriel) into law — a landmark first-in-the-nation legislation that will phase out the most harmful ultra-processed ingredients from school meals statewide.
Eat Real started this journey one year ago with our friends at EWG and the office of Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, and we are incredibly proud to see it reach this milestone. We were proud to co-sponsor and champion this bill, representing the voice of nutritious, wholesome school food advocates everywhere.
Why This Matters
- AB 1264 establishes the nation’s first legal definition of “ultra-processed foods (UPFs)” and identifies the most harmful ingredients that have been scientifically proven to lead to adverse health outcomes for kids.
- Starting no later than 2029, schools will begin phasing out “UPFs of concern” from school food, and by 2032, vendors will be prohibited from selling those foods to schools.
- With this law, California becomes the first U.S. state to codify protections for children’s nutrition — a landmark shift in school food policy.
Who Made This Happen
This victory belongs to a community of changemakers and organizations dedicated to protecting children’s health:
- Jesse Gabriel, Assemblymember (D-Encino) — the bill’s author and driving legislative force behind AB 1264.
- Environmental Working Group (EWG) — among the leading public health and nutrition advocates backing the bill.
- Eat Realies Michael Jochner (MHUSD), Christina Lawson (WPUSD), and Rebecca Steffler (WCSD) — these incredible school food heroes took time out of their busy work days to join us at the Capitol. They shared stories of how serving real, delicious food in school is not just possible, but already happening in their districts.
AB 1264 was also successful in large part due to overwhelming bipartisan support in both the California Assembly and the House. We are so grateful to every Assemblymember and Senator who voted YES for our kids’ futures.
What’s Next
- Over the next two years, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) along with partner agencies, will define precisely which foods are “UPFs of concern” and draft regulations.
- Vendors who supply California schools will begin the phase-out of UPF ingredients no later than 2029, with full prohibition by 2032.
- Eat Real will work to support schools, districts, and foodservice providers in this transition — sharing best practices, sourcing real food, and ensuring healthy meals are the norm, not the exception.
This is what we fight for every day — partnering with schools to help them serve real, delicious, nourishing meals kids love. This law is going to unlock so much momentum, innovation, and support for school nutrition teams who heroically feed millions of kids daily.
We’re rolling up our sleeves and getting ready to help schools across California make this shift in a way that works for their kitchens and their kids.
Because real food fuels bright futures — and today, that future just got a whole lot brighter. ☀️
A huge, heartfelt thank you to Governor Newsom and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for standing up for kids’ health. To our friends EWG, Miguel Viarreal from the National Farm to School Network, Carrie Richards from Richards Regenerative Ranch, Dr. Rob Lustig, Dr. Michael I. Goran, Nick Dramis from MJUSD, Food Fight USA, Dominic Machi from Dos Pisanos, and every advocate who spoke up, lobbied, organized — your voices made this change possible.
And to our community at Eat Real: we see this as just the beginning. Together, we’re helping build a future where every school meal is real, nutritious, and worthy of the kids who eat it.
Let’s get to work.
