Gov. continues State’s actions to promote healthy eating habits

Concern about eating healthy foods continued last week. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to state agencies “. . . to continue investigating the adverse health effects of synthetic food dyes and increase access to affordable, healthy foods.”

Specifically, Newsom was also targeting “Ultra-processed foods.” According to many health experts, these foods “. . . have been linked to premature death, obesity, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.”

The National Institutes of Health has identified these foods are typically high-energy-dense products, high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt, and low in dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals

“The food we eat shouldn’t make us sick with disease or lead to lifelong consequences,” Newsom said in his press release. “California has been a leader for years in creating healthy and delicious school meals and removing harmful ingredients and chemicals from food. We’re going to work with the industry, consumers and experts to crack down on ultra-processed foods and create a healthier future for every Californian.”

Newsom is mandating several specific reports for his review. The first is due April 1 when the California Department of Public Health is to submit recommendations concerning possible limits to the harms that ultra-processed foods may cause.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is to continue investigation of possible adverse health hazards from food dyes, which are a common ingredient in ultra-processed foods. An investigation of food additives will be part of these reports.

Other actions include the possibility of requiring school systems to adopt higher standards for healthy school meals. The Department of Social Services is to provide recommendations to reduce the purchase of soda, candy and other ultra-processed foods, or foods made with synthetic food dye or additives by California food-stamp users.

In his executive order, Newsom stressed that the new 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Advisory Report to the federal Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture found that 73 percent of U.S. adults 20 years and older are overweight or obese and 38 percent of children and youth between 12 and 19 years old are prediabetic. The National Institute of Health and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has also identified the link between healthy eating and lowering an individual’s risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions.

While ultra-processed foods lead to obesity and other health problems, identifying the danger can be confusing. In a recent Washington Post story about ultra-processed foods, they suggested that some are not as bad as others.

While some peanut butters contain “. . . additives designed to enhance their flavor, texture and appearance, such as sugar, hydrogenated oils and emulsifiers. These additives can transform peanut butter from a minimally processed food into an ultra-processed food.”

The “red-flags” include palm oil or hydrogenated vegetable oils such as cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed oils; mono- and di-glycerides; and sugar, molasses and other sweeteners

The authors recommended looking for peanut butter made only with peanuts or peanuts and salt.

In September, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2316, which, beginning July 1, 2027, will ban “. . . food containing six specified food dye additives (Blue 1; Blue 2; Green 3; Red 40; Yellow 5; and Yellow 6) from being sold to students by school districts, county offices of education (COEs), charter schools, and state special schools.”

The proponents argued “. . . consumption of synthetic food dyes can result in hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children and that children vary in their sensitivity to synthetic food dyes.”

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