Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch

California’s Real Food, Healthy Kids Act

The Real Food, Healthy Kids Act (also known as AB 1264), was signed into law on October 8, 2025. It was established to reduce and/or eliminate certain ultraprocessed foods in school meals and make them even healthier in the years ahead. The law reflects growing scientific understanding of how highly- or ultraprocessed foods affect health.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has been assigned several responsibilities to support implementation of the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act, including:

To develop definitions and adopt regulations that define two new terms established by the law: "Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods." Adopting regulations is another way to create laws and is guided by the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). The process of adopting regulations requires a review of scientific evidence, public input, and the requirements established by the APA. As part of this process, CDPH must consider several factors. These include scientific evidence related to health outcomes, whether a product is banned or restricted in other jurisdictions, whether it meets the federal government’s standards to carry a “healthy” label, and other factors specified in the law.
To guide the phased elimination of "Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods" from California schools, informed by key partnerships with agencies and organizations such as the California Department of Education, School Food Service Directors, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and various industry partners, by providing training and technical assistance to school food vendors and school food service and procurement staff to help them discontinue purchase and use of specified foods.
To collect food sales data from any vendor selling food products to California schools; vendor sales data will support CDPH’s mandated annual legislative report on statewide progress in reducing certain ultraprocessed foods in schools.

Share your input: Public and expert input will be sought throughout the planning process. Right now, CDPH encourages all interested parties to complete the AB 1264 Public Input Survey by November 15, 2026. The survey asks what CDPH should consider when working to define “Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods." The survey is open to the public, and CDPH seeks input from those that grow, process and/or manufacture school food, those that sell food to schools, those that purchase school food, those that prepare and serve school meals, and those that eat school food, plus any other interested party.

Implementation Timeline and Expectations
The Real Food, Healthy Kids Act sets a timeline from 2026 to 2035 for phasing out certain ultra-processed foods from California schools. Key expectations include:

Food vendors must start annual reporting to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on product data related to the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act.
CDPH will adopt final rules (regulations) defining “Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods."
Schools start phasing out “Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods." as defined by the regulations.
Vendors must discontinue offering these “Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods" to schools.
Schools must discontinue serving or selling meals containing these “Ultraprocessed Foods of Concern" and "Restricted School Foods" in breakfasts and lunches that receive federal National School Lunch Program reimbursement.

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