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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law allowing qualifying foods to carry a “non-ultra-processed certified” seal. State-approved third-party certifiers will assess products, while the state will maintain a public list and some large grocery stores will have to make certified products easier to identify.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating a “non-ultra-processed certified” seal for foods that meet the state’s standard, giving shoppers a new way to identify qualifying products. The law also requires certain large grocery retailers to make certified foods easier to spot in stores.
The measure was introduced by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Encino, and received bipartisan support in both the California Assembly and Senate, according to Food Safety News. The state’s Department of Public Health will oversee the certification system and accredit third-party certifiers to assess products. The department must accredit those certifiers by June 1, 2029.
Products will need to meet California’s non-ultra-processed standard to display the seal. Under the law, a food does 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. Certified products must be recertified at least every three years.
The law sets out oversight provisions: certification agents must register with the state, which may audit certification records at any time. California must keep a public online list of certified products, and misuse of the seal will be illegal and subject to enforcement. The law also requires qualifying large retailers to help customers identify certified products, such as through special signs or by placing them in a separate area.
How the Seal Could Change Grocery Shopping
The law creates a state-supervised label that could make a complex food-processing distinction more visible at the point of purchase. Instead of relying only on ingredient lists or company descriptions, shoppers will be able to look for a seal tied to a state standard and third-party certification. The state’s planned public product list could give consumers another way to check which foods qualify.
The retail requirement extends the policy beyond packaging. Grocery stores covered by the law must make certified products easier to identify. It applies to stores with more than 25 individually certified non-UPF products and more than $10 million in annual sales. The source report does not specify how many retailers or products will fall within those thresholds.
The potential public-health stakes are a stated reason for the measure. Research cited in the report indicates that ultra-processed foods make up more than two-thirds of children’s diets and more than half of adults’ diets. The report also describes research linking diets high in these foods with cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders and mental health issues. Those findings are broader research context; the law itself creates a labeling and retail system and does not establish that the seal will change diets or health outcomes.
California’s Earlier Food Rules
The new seal builds on a 2025 California law, also authored by Gabriel, that established what the source describes as the first U.S. legal definition of ultra-processed food and banned such food from public schools. The new measure adds a product certification process for foods meeting the state’s non-UPF standard, alongside rules for displaying the seal and locating products in some stores.
Gabriel framed the law as a consumer-information measure and linked it to earlier state action on food additives. He said California had begun the effort three years earlier by banning what he called the most dangerous food additives. That description is his account of the state’s policy history; the supplied report does not list those additives or detail the earlier law.
Support also came from consumer groups, including the Environmental Working Group. Bernadette Del Chiaro, the group’s senior vice president for California, said the seal would give families a simple way to identify foods she described as closer to what comes from a kitchen than a factory. That is an advocacy group’s characterization of the label’s value, not an independent assessment of how consumers will use it.
““Parents shouldn’t need a Ph.D. in chemistry to understand what they’re feeding their kids.””
— Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel
Certification Rules Still Need Work
The law sets a deadline for accrediting third-party certifiers, but the source report does not describe the detailed procedures those certifiers will use, how companies will apply, or what fees may be involved. It also does not identify which certifiers are expected to take part. Those details will affect how quickly products can be reviewed and how broadly the seal appears.
The report does not name any products that are already certified or provide an estimate of how many might qualify. It also does not state when the public online list or store displays will first be available. The law’s three-year recertification minimum sets a renewal interval, but the supplied material does not explain how the state will handle contested decisions or changes to a product between reviews.
Research has linked diets high in ultra-processed foods with several health conditions, but the source does not give study details, quantify risks, or establish that this certification will reduce those outcomes. The seal identifies whether a product meets California’s standard; it does not, on the information available, promise a particular health effect.
State Accreditation Due by 2029
The next named milestone is the California Department of Public Health’s deadline to accredit third-party certifiers: June 1, 2029. The department will oversee certification, and registered agents will assess products against the state standard. The source report does not give a separate timetable for publishing the product list, beginning certifications or starting required store displays.
Once the system is operating, the state may audit certification records, and certified foods must be recertified at least every three years. Retailers meeting both statutory thresholds will need to make qualifying products easier to identify, using methods such as signs or physical separation. The law makes misuse of the seal subject to enforcement, though the report does not specify penalties or enforcement procedures.
How much the seal changes shopping will depend on the products that qualify, how consumers respond and how retailers implement the display requirement. Those outcomes remain unknown from the information reported so far.
Key Questions
What does California’s new seal mean?
The “non-ultra-processed certified” seal may be used on products that meet California’s non-UPF standard and have been certified through the state’s system. The Department of Public Health will accredit third-party certifiers.
Which products can qualify?
Products must meet the state standard. 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.
When will certifiers be accredited?
The California Department of Public Health is directed to accredit third-party certifiers by June 1, 2029. The source report does not provide a launch date for product certifications.
Which grocery stores must highlight certified foods?
The requirement applies to grocery stores selling more than 25 individual non-UPF-certified products and bringing in more than $10 million in annual sales. Covered stores may use signs or physical separation to make those products easier to find.
Does the seal mean a food will prevent disease?
No such promise is described in the reported law. The seal indicates that a product meets California’s non-ultra-processed standard; the source report does not say that certification guarantees a health outcome.
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