California lawmakers are empowering State dwellers to ‘make better-informed and healthier’ food choices by establishing a unique ‘Certified’ seal set to be displayed on minimally processed products.
On 25 March, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who represents the 46th California Assembly District, announced Assembly Bill (AB) 2244 - a ‘landmark legislation’ engineered to increase transparency around ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 19 to 39 consume over half of their daily recommended calories (54.4 percent) from UPFs.
Previous research proposes that there is a correlation between consuming large amounts of UPFs and poor health, with a review published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggesting heart disease, mental health disorders, type 2 diabetes, and other problems may arise.
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“Ultra-processed foods clearly increase chronic disease risk. Many of these foods are engineered to be optimally rewarding and easy to over-consume,” said Alyssa J. Moran, Deputy Director at the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at University of Pennsylvania.
“Food companies are constantly adding new ingredients to the food supply without disclosing their purposes, making it almost impossible for most people to know whether a packaged food is ultra-processed or not.”
In an effort to curb UPF consumption, AB 2244 and the first ‘California Certified’ seal have been proposed.
If passed, the symbol - modelled after the USDA Organic label - will be fixed to all products that meet food standards for minimal processing, according to Food and Wine.
Grocery store staples classed as minimally processed, and therefore likely to be gifted the California Certified seal, include anything that still looks a lot like its original form.
This includes canned beans, eggs, milk, olive oil, and various fruits and vegetables.
With the first-in-the-nation seal, consumers will be able to identify healthier options and organic produce without too much fuss.
The bill also would require grocery stores in California to prominently feature items hosting the seal in a ‘prominent, high-traffic area of the store’, as per an official notice.
“Parents shouldn’t need a PhD in chemistry to understand what they’re feeding their kids,” Gabriel stated.
“Like the USDA Organic label, this new seal will empower consumers with clear, trustworthy information and make it easier for them to locate healthier foods that are free from harmful additives.”
He claimed that the California Certified seal was the state’s way of ‘stepping up’ to protect children and confront the various health risks associated with UPFs.
Todd Wagner, co-founder of FoodFight USA, has since praised Gabriel for continuting to ‘advance California’s leadership in the fight to reduce consumption of the hyperpalatable, addictive ultra-processed foods driving our nation’s chronic disease crisis’.
Ella Scott