TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating a voluntary label for products that meet the state’s definition of non-ultraprocessed food. Large grocery stores carrying at least 25 certified products must prominently display them. Food industry representatives say differing state definitions could confuse consumers and complicate policy.
The label is available for products that fall outside the state’s ultraprocessed-food definition, which California established in 2025. Under that definition, a product is ultraprocessed if it contains at least one additive or has high amounts of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar. The source report does not specify the thresholds for what counts as a high amount.
The label is voluntary for manufacturers. The grocery-store requirement applies when a large store carries at least 25 products certified for the state label; those items must then be displayed prominently. The report does not detail the certification process, how the display requirement will be enforced or when stores must comply.
Lawmakers behind the seal say it is intended to offer shoppers a simple, transparent way to identify healthier options. The state’s approach focuses on a product’s ingredients and nutritional composition, while other labels also consider the degree of processing. California’s seal joins existing options from the Non-GMO Project and the nonprofit Non-UPF Program.
A Label That Could Shape Food Policy
The measure gives shoppers a state-backed signal on some products and creates a display obligation for qualifying grocery stores. Its effect will depend in part on how many manufacturers seek certification and how consumers interpret the label. The law’s enactment alone does not establish that products carrying it are healthier in every respect.
The definition could also influence decisions beyond supermarket shelves. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), which represents the food science industry, says definitions of ultraprocessed foods may affect school meals, nutrition assistance, product reformulation and front-of-package labels, as well as future dietary guidance. Those possible consequences raise the stakes of how the state draws and applies its criteria.
Food scientists and industry experts have cautioned that judging foods only by processing level could penalize products such as whole-grain bread and yogurt, which can help people meet nutrient needs. California’s emphasis on ingredients and nutrients is one approach to that concern, though the source material does not establish how the state’s criteria will treat particular products.
California’s Definition and Other Seals
California defined ultraprocessed foods in September 2025, a year before Newsom signed the new labeling law, according to the report. The new seal applies to products that do not fall within that state definition. The report describes California as the first state to define ultraprocessed foods and the first to create a statewide non-ultraprocessed label.
Separate non-ultraprocessed labels already exist, including the Non-UPF Verified Standard from the Non-GMO Project and the Non-UPF Certified seal from the nonprofit Non-UPF Program. Their criteria are not identical to California’s stated approach. If other states develop their own definitions, companies selling across state lines could face different standards for what qualifies.
““We should be about healthcare, not sick-care, recognizing that preventing illnesses is far preferable to finding — and affording — treatments.””
— California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Certification and Rollout Details
The available report does not specify when the label will appear on products, who will certify them, what documentation manufacturers must provide or how the grocery-store display requirement will be checked. It also does not give the thresholds behind the state’s “high amounts” of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar.
It remains unclear how many products will qualify, how many stores will meet the 25-product trigger or whether other states will adopt similar definitions. The report also provides no evidence yet on whether the label changes shopping behavior or improves health outcomes.
Certification and Store Implementation
The next steps are implementation of the certification process and the grocery-store display rule. The source report does not provide dates or further administrative details. Consumers and manufacturers will be able to see how the label is applied as eligible products enter the market and stores respond to the requirement.
Further state action could shape how widely definitions diverge. IFT says it wants a science-based framework as more policies are considered; whether states align their standards, and how California’s criteria evolve with new evidence, remain open questions.
Key Questions
What does California’s new label mean?
It identifies products that do not fall under California’s definition of ultraprocessed foods. The label is voluntary for manufacturers.
What counts as ultraprocessed under California’s definition?
The 2025 state definition includes products with at least one additive or high amounts of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar. The source report does not provide numerical thresholds for “high amounts.”
Which grocery stores must display labeled products?
Large grocery stores that carry at least 25 certified products must display them prominently. The report does not specify how “large” is defined or when the requirement takes effect.
Will the label mean a product is healthy?
The label indicates that a product meets California’s non-ultraprocessed criteria. Lawmakers describe it as a way to identify healthier options, but the source material does not say that every labeled product is healthy in all respects.
Why are food industry groups concerned?
IFT says that if states use different definitions, manufacturers and consumers could face inconsistent standards. The group says definitions may also affect school meals, nutrition assistance and other food policies.
Source: rss
NFL season / tailgating Picks
team gear
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
