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California has enacted a voluntary statewide label for foods that meet its definition of non-ultraprocessed, with certain large grocery stores required to prominently display qualifying products. Industry representatives say differing definitions could confuse shoppers and affect food policy; the law’s rollout details are not specified in the source report.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating a voluntary statewide label for foods that meet the state’s criteria for non-ultraprocessed products. The law also requires large grocery stores carrying at least 25 certified products to display labeled items prominently, giving shoppers a state-backed way to identify qualifying foods while raising questions about how competing definitions may affect consumers and manufacturers.
The label applies to products that do not fall under California’s definition of ultraprocessed foods, which the state established in 2025. According to the report, that definition covers products containing at least one additive or high amounts of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar. The new label is voluntary for manufacturers; the source report does not specify an implementation date or explain how products will be certified.
Grocery-store display requirements apply when a large store carries at least 25 certified products. Those stores must prominently display the items bearing the state label. The report does not give further details about which retailers qualify as large, how prominent the displays must be or what penalties may apply for noncompliance.
Lawmakers behind the measure say the seal is intended to offer a simple, transparent way to identify healthier options. The California label joins private programs, including the Non-GMO Project’s Non-UPF Verified Standard and the nonprofit Non-UPF Program’s Non-UPF Certified seal. The report says California’s approach emphasizes nutritional and ingredient composition, while other labels also consider the degree of processing.
A State Label Reaches Grocery Aisles
The law links a statewide food classification to what shoppers see in stores. For consumers, the label could make qualifying products easier to spot. For manufacturers, meeting the state’s criteria and choosing whether to use the seal may shape product labeling and formulation decisions.
The label also adds a public policy dimension to how food processing is defined. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), which represents the food science industry, says definitions could influence school meals, nutrition assistance, product reformulation and front-of-pack labels, as well as future dietary guidance. Those are potential effects identified by IFT; the source report does not say the new law has already changed any of those programs.
Different labels may use different criteria, making comparisons harder for shoppers. Food scientists and industry experts have also cautioned that judging foods only by processing could penalize products such as whole-grain bread or yogurt that can help people meet nutrient needs. California’s focus on composition is relevant to that debate, though the report does not establish whether the state’s criteria resolve it.
California’s 2025 Food Definition
California defined ultraprocessed foods in September 2025, according to the report. The new seal uses that existing state definition as its basis. The report characterizes California as the first state to define ultraprocessed foods and says the newly signed law creates the first statewide non-ultraprocessed label.
Private non-UPF seals were already available to food manufacturers. California’s law therefore adds a state program to an emerging field in which different organizations use their own standards. The source does not provide a side-by-side account of those standards or say how products certified under private programs will be treated by the state label.
““We should be about healthcare, not sick-care, recognizing that preventing illnesses is far preferable to finding — and affording — treatments.””
— California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a statement
Certification and Rollout Details
The source report does not say when the label will become available, which body will certify products, what evidence manufacturers must submit or how the state will enforce the grocery display requirement. It also does not clarify how California will determine what counts as a high amount of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar.
It remains unclear whether other states will adopt California’s definition or establish different ones. IFT warned that separate standards could lead to different interpretations of ultraprocessed food, but the report does not identify specific state proposals or show how much confusion competing seals have caused shoppers so far.
Retail Display and State Standards
The next practical milestones are the label’s rollout, the certification process and guidance for grocery stores that carry at least 25 certified products. The source report does not provide dates for those steps, so the timing of store displays remains unknown.
Further developments to watch include whether California publishes additional rules and whether other states pursue their own definitions. Those decisions will help show whether the state label becomes a model for wider policy or one of several standards manufacturers and consumers must navigate.
Key Questions
What did California enact?
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating a voluntary statewide label for products that meet California’s definition of non-ultraprocessed food.
Which grocery stores must display labeled products?
Large grocery stores must prominently display qualifying items if they carry at least 25 certified products. The report does not provide more detail about which stores count as large.
How does California define ultraprocessed foods?
The state’s 2025 definition covers products with at least one additive or high amounts of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar, according to the source report.
Why are food industry groups concerned?
IFT says differing definitions among states and private programs could make it harder for consumers and manufacturers to know what qualifies. The group also says definitions could affect food and nutrition policies.
When will shoppers see the label in stores?
The source report does not give a rollout date or explain when certification and store display rules take effect.
Source: rss
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