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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating a state-supervised certification seal for food products that meet the state’s non-ultra-processed food standard. The law also sets rules for certifiers, public product listings and displays at some large grocery stores, with the state’s accreditation deadline set for June 1, 2029.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating a state-supervised certification seal for foods that meet California’s non-ultra-processed food standard, giving eligible products a new way to identify themselves to shoppers. The law also requires certain large grocery stores to make certified products easier to find, though the certification system must still be established.
The law directs the California Department of Public Health to oversee product certification. The department will approve and accredit third-party certifiers, which will assess whether products meet the state standard. Certifiers must register with the state, and certification records may be audited. Products must be recertified at least every three years.
Only products that satisfy the requirements may display the seal. Under the law, a food will not qualify if it contains substances or additives—including dyes, flavor enhancers, non-sugar sweeteners or processing aids—used to manipulate its taste or quality. The department must maintain a public online list of certified products, and misuse of the seal will be illegal and subject to enforcement.
The law also sets a retail display requirement. Grocery stores that sell more than 25 individually certified non-UPF products and have annual sales above $10 million must make those products easy to identify, for example through signs or physical separation. The department is required to accredit third-party certifiers by June 1, 2029.
How the Seal Could Change Shopping
The measure creates a state-backed route for shoppers to identify products that meet California’s non-ultra-processed standard, instead of relying only on ingredient lists or manufacturers’ own descriptions. Its public product list, audit authority and penalties for misuse are intended to support trust in the seal. Whether shoppers find it useful will depend on how the standard is applied and how many products become certified.
The store display rule could make qualifying foods easier to locate in covered grocery stores. Its scope is limited by the law’s sales and product-count thresholds, so the requirement will not apply to every retailer. The law does not establish that certified products prevent disease or that all foods without the seal are harmful.
The source report cites research associating diets high in ultra-processed foods with health harms, including cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders and mental health issues. It also reports that ultra-processed foods account for more than two-thirds of children’s diets and more than half of adults’ diets. Those figures are reported as general research findings; the report does not provide a specific study, date range or comparison baseline for them.
California’s Earlier Food Rules
The new certification law builds on a 2025 California law, also authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, that established what the source report describes as the first U.S. legal definition of ultra-processed food and banned such food from public schools. The new seal adds a consumer-facing certification system to that earlier policy.
Gabriel, a Democrat representing Encino, introduced the bill. It received bipartisan support in both the state Assembly and Senate, according to Food Safety News. The law’s approach relies on third-party product assessments under state oversight, rather than allowing companies to use the seal without certification.
Consumer groups, including the Environmental Working Group, welcomed the measure. Their support reflects an argument that clearer labeling can help families identify products, but that view is advocacy, not a finding established by the law itself.
“Like the USDA Organic label, this new seal will provide consumers with clear, trustworthy information and make it easier for them to locate healthier foods that are free from harmful additives.”
— Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the bill’s author
Certification Details Still Pending
The law sets a deadline for accrediting third-party certifiers, but the source report does not say when the department will begin accepting applications or when the first products might receive the seal. It also does not provide the full technical criteria or explain how the department will assess particular ingredients and processing methods.
The number of products likely to qualify, the cost of certification and the extent of retailer participation are not reported. The law’s display requirement applies only to grocery stores meeting both stated thresholds, and the source does not identify which stores currently meet them. The reported links between high ultra-processed food consumption and health harms do not establish that the seal itself will change diets or health outcomes.
State Accreditation by 2029
The next stated milestone is the California Department of Public Health’s deadline to accredit third-party certifiers by June 1, 2029. The department must put the oversight system in place, including certifier registration and a public online list of certified products. Once certifications begin, products will need recertification at least every three years, and covered grocery stores will have to make qualifying products identifiable to shoppers.
Further details about the department’s implementation schedule, certification criteria and the first products approved were not included in the source report. Those developments will show how the new seal works in practice.
Key Questions
What does the new California seal identify?
It identifies products certified as meeting California’s non-ultra-processed food standard. Only products that meet the law’s requirements may display it.
Who will certify eligible foods?
Third-party certifiers will assess products after being approved and accredited by the California Department of Public Health. The department must accredit certifiers by June 1, 2029.
Which grocery stores must display certified products prominently?
The rule applies to grocery stores that sell more than 25 individually certified non-UPF products and bring in more than $10 million in annual sales. Stores may use special signs or physical separation to identify those products.
How often must a certified product be reviewed again?
Products must be recertified at least every three years. The law also allows the state to audit certification records.
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