The California State Capitol in Sacramento
Mackinacbridge
Illustrative. Not a photograph of any food or of the signing.
California Signed a Label for Foods That Are Not Ultraprocessed, and the Real Seal Is Years Away
"Ultraprocessed" has been a loud word in nutrition for years and a vague one on a shelf. Nobody has been able to point at a package and say, officially, that it is not. California just signed a law that sets out to change that.
- Governor Newsom signed AB 2244 on September 28, 2026, creating a voluntary state backed seal for foods certified as not ultraprocessed, modeled on the USDA Organic approach.
- According to a law firm analysis, certified foods cannot contain additives such as stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, coloring or flavoring agents, flavor enhancers or non nutritive sweeteners.
- The state does not have to accredit certifiers until June 1, 2029, so no product carries this label yet. The label also does not itself prove a health benefit.
What AB 2244 creates
Governor Newsom signed AB 2244 on September 28, 2026. The bill's author was Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel. The governor's office calls it a voluntary standard, modeled on the approach behind USDA Organic: a third party certifies a food, and a front of package label tells shoppers it passed.
According to the law firm Akin Gump, a certified product cannot contain the additives specified in a companion law, AB 1264. That list covers stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, coloring and flavoring agents, flavor enhancers and non nutritive sweeteners. Certification renews every three years, the state has to keep a public database of certified products, and large retailers, defined as more than 25 certified products and more than $10 million in sales, have to display them clearly.
The wait is the story
The state health department has until June 1, 2029 to accredit the third party certifiers. Until certifiers exist, nothing can be certified, so no product carries this seal today and none will for roughly two and a half years. That is a long runway.
What you can read right now is the criteria. A label that excludes non nutritive sweeteners and emulsifiers tells you which "clean" claims brands will start chasing, long before any seal appears on a shelf. Protein bars and functional drinks are the obvious places to watch.
What the label does and does not tell you
A seal that says "not ultraprocessed" is a statement about ingredients and processing. It is not a statement that a food improves health. The research linking ultraprocessed food to harm is largely observational. A label can make a food easier to find. It cannot settle the underlying science.
Honest caveat
This is a voluntary label, and no products have been certified. The criteria come from a law firm summary, because I did not read the statute text itself. The label does not prove any health benefit, and the evidence linking ultraprocessed food to harm is largely observational.
What this means for you
Nothing changes at your grocery store this year. The useful takeaway is the direction: the additive categories on this list, especially emulsifiers and non nutritive sweeteners, are ones gut health research keeps returning to. If you want to act before any seal exists, you do not need one. Read the ingredient list and notice how many of these additives are on it.
When certified products do arrive, treat the seal as a convenient filter, not a guarantee of anything beyond what it says on the label.
Primary sources
Common questions
When will I see the non ultraprocessed label in stores?
Not soon. The state has until June 1, 2029 to accredit the third party certifiers, and products cannot be certified until that happens. Realistically the label is a few years away from a shelf near you.
Is the label mandatory for food companies?
No. It is a voluntary standard. A company chooses to seek certification, and the state backed seal is meant to tell shoppers a food met the criteria.
Does a non ultraprocessed label mean a food is healthy?
Not by itself. The label describes ingredients and processing, and it excludes certain additives. It does not claim a health benefit, and the evidence tying ultraprocessed food to harm is largely observational.
Stay Curious.
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